REINCARNATE: Shinobi
by littlehero
Summary: Died once and alive once again. After taking on the new name Ushijima Ken and figuring out how the f@#% RPG games work, he's started his new adventure, far from his old, luxurious life! Will Ken stay away from canon or will he play author? [UNDER HIATUS! ]
1. chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Naruto: Shippuden. I only own the plot and OCs.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

My head hurt. Not the migraine type of hurt, more like _I-wanna-fucking-die_ type of hurt. One moment I was getting ready for bed when— Oh, right. Some addict decided he needed to pass time with shooting. What a bastard. I just remember getting hit right in the neck when I peeked out of my curtains, guess random firing was a sure fire way of wrecking havoc at night. In no way am I okay with that, though.

I groan and try to stand up, thought I see nothing. All black. Must be dead, in a coma, or somehow that retard hit something other than my neck and now I'm blind. I growl in annoyance as I plop back down. Surely, the hospital had better beds? My dad would kill them if they deny his _only son,_ the best bed and room in the hospital. I am, afterall, a son of a pretty famous surgeon.

Having enough of the staff's incompetence, I sat up and tried to feel for the nurse button. Finding nothing, I groaned once again.

Suddenly, my vision is occupied by a blinding, **REINCARNATE: SHINOBI** plastered seemingly in air. What? The f@)? I'm actually dead? I mean, reincarnation is only real in fanfiction! Oh shiiiiiiiiiiiii— the only anime I'm sure I'm going to be is a place only the Weaboo of the Weaboos would want to be in. I'm gonna die. The first character who's gonna die.

No no, I'll only get myself killed if I join the damned academy. And dear God, please don't put me in the same timeframe where all the war happens. I'm okay with Boruto. I'll even explain _everything to him, just, no. Not there._

I sigh and look at the _trying-to-look-innocent-but-there's-a-malicious-intent-underneath_ title. I push my hand against the sign and it immediately warped into a game's initial stage for making a character.

 **Welcome to REINCARNATE: SHINOBI! You have been picked to go to the world of Shinobi!**

 **Enter name:**

I thought hard and long, before deciding that I would go for a name that's easy to remember.

 **Ushijima Ken**

Pretty sure Ushijima from Haikyuu I can remember since he's kinda cool, and Ken kinda sound badass, I think. _I'm staring right at you, Kaneki._

 **Ushijima Ken**

 **Enter name?**

 **Yes No**

Obviously, I chose Yes and it warped into character appearance. Oh thank goodness, I will not be a baby. The options were pretty normal for character customizing, stuff you'd see in RPG games. After picking out stuff that looked closest to me, specifically a bowl cut, no, not like Lee's, but kinda like something you'd see on one of those kpop guys with a middle parting to let my forehead breath, and got it in the same gradient I had going on in my past life, navy blue to light baby blue to white tips. Kinda like bubblegum flavored shaved ice. Good thing they had a mix option. Kinda kept my normal face, I looked more like a doll than a prepubescent boy, but Kimimaro looked like a girl when he was younger then turned out okay and _I get to change my eye color oh dear lord—_ I picked a nice icy blue to replace my gray ones to match my hair. What? Gray is boring.

After nodding to myself that I was good to go, I pressed Done. A few seconds of darkness and I was beginning to panic. I mean, who wouldn't? That was until my eyes suddenly soaked up light and am I hanging upside-down?! A giant man held me by the ankles and _holy s— is that where I was? oh no_

Before the doctor even touched my skin, I was already crying and flailing my arms around— woah, I thought babies don't have enough strength and control to even _move_? Great, now they'll think I'm some kind of freak!

I stop flailing around when they cleaned me then wrapped ( _restrained_ ) me with a soft cloth, I now know as the famous 'Baby Bundle'. I was put on my new mother's chest, and immediately a finger was already wriggling infront of my face. I grab it and it stopped moving, the finger not quite my mother's. Too big and too manly. Unless my mom has man hands. Huh, that's a bad image. _Bad imagination, bad!_

My eyes followed the arm, until it fell on a guy, too young to be a dad and too old to be a kid, and I was met with a small, sincere smile.

I like this guy.

I pull on his finger, as much as I can with my baby strength, (still pissed I have to be a _small, disgusting blob of uselessness_ again) and put it under my chin. Huh, he got the sniffies. I guess a baby really could do that to people. Okay, so now, I'm not a blob of useless. I'm a blob of sniffies-inducing baby. My mother, unmoving under me, had kissed my forehead tenderly, drawing me close to her and engulfing me in a state of content with the smell of pine and mint.

I still haven't let go of _maybe_ brother. I'll call him 'relative' for now.

My eyes closed shut and I snuggled the finger closer, an audible 'aww' somewhere in the room. A notification appeared and I quickly opened it.

 **MISSION!**

 **Get FIVE(5) people to coo over you.**

 **(0/5)**

 **REWARD(S)!**

 **50 EXP**

 **ONE(1) beanie (2% warmth)**

 **ACCEPT DECLINE**

Obviously, I pressed Accept and closed the notification. Under me was a rumble, kind of like a purr but not really. What was it called again? Humming? Eitherway, it's very nice, and soon, I succumbed to sleep.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

It's been a few months since they took me back to their home and got me settled in. My first in-game mission was a complete success, me being awake to witness both Mikoto Uchiha and Kushina Uzumaki cooing above me, poking my cheek that made me want to snarl but quickly shut up when my eyes landed on little!Itachi. Huh, who knew he was chibi small when he was younger.

Fortunately, I did not have to thank he who gave me the beanie, and thankfully, I wasn't awake. Who gave me it? F@cking Hiruzen, that's who. _That old fart that let the village bully Naruto._ I was horribly pissed that day and would not let Kazu, my brother, away for not more than five seconds. I think he's in ANBU Black Ops. That or he only shows his face when he's home. I don't know.

And now he's trying to escape again.

Prepare the waterworks!

"AAAH!" I scream when he pass the five second mark, Kazu shunshin-ing to hold me again. I stop immediately and give him the best, _smuggest_ smirk I can toothlessly muster. He sigh playfully and gave me a noogie and I giggle. What? I like noogies.

He set me on my crib and I immediately start the five second countdown once again.

An idea popped into my mind and I readied my lungs and throat.

"AZUU!" I scream and immediately, Kazu was towering over my crib, eyes wide, spatula in hand. "Come again, Ken?" He said and I smile.

"Azu! Azu!" I babble and he dropped the spatula, scooping me up and gently squished me on his chest. "Holy shit, I gotta tell Ma!" He said and began calling his mom.

"Ma! Ken said his first word!" He said, excitedly bouncing me in his arms, and if I were not a baby, he'd probably twirled me around by the arms.

A few noises ( _crashes and banging_ ) came from the other side of the house and 'Ma' rushed towards us, notebook in hand.

"Come on, Ken! Repeat what you said, Kazu~ Ka-zu. _Ka-zu_." He said repeatedly, urging me to say his name once again. Hmm, why not troll the both of them?

"Azu! Shit!" I exclaim, pulling on his black tee. 'Ma' was too busy writing on her notebook and oh, there we go, she broke the pencil!

"Kazuhiko! What are you teaching your brother?!"

 **NEW SKILL!**

 **Speech (LVL. 0- 30%)**

 **You can now talk!**

 **REWARD(S)!**

 **50 EXP**

 **YOU LEVELED UP!**

Ah. Life is good.


	2. chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

'Text' - spoken in mind

"Text" -spoken out loud

 _ **Text** \- Megami*_

Megami- lit. trans. *Goddess

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It was a fine Saturday morning when I started to feel the light throbbing in my stomach and the back of my head. It was unnerving and uncomfortable, but not enough to make me cry out in pain or something. It felt like there was two kunai stuck inside my guts and kept on rotating, stirring up ny poor organs. It hurt like a bitch by the time it was Wednesday the next week. I would cry out in extreme pain, only groans and whimpers coming out of my mouth every time I open it. Ma thought I caught a bad case of stomach bugs (most likely a wild kikaichū, weak enough to not kill me, but savage enough to feed off of me directly from my chakra coil) and helped me go to the hospital, but not after she told Kazu and he insisted he get Doctor Saki from the Aburame clan's resident doctor to get rid of the bug, offering to pay too. Ma had begrudgingly agreed that he get her but paid in his stead.

A few days later, after getting my diagnosis (Aburame-bred bugs are known to be very loyal to their hosts, so a literal stomach bug was indeed an issue),I discovered I had a rare condition where bugs from the Aburame clan (or any kikaichū or any variation of it for that matter) were attracted to the neutral chakra (don't ask me, I don't think there is something like this in the Narutowiki) my coil was making. It worked kinda like dog treats or catnip, my chakrabeing the treat and the bug wants it. This is what I get for peeking on the Aburame Clan Compound (their compound was only literally fifteen steps away from my front door.).

Days passed by, and while I am quite proud that Aburame-bred bugs _recognise_ my chakra, I still have more pressing matters to think about. Like, figuring out what timeline I'm in, stopping Obito from 'dying' and stopping the Uchiha Massacre. I have to know where exactly I am, so I'd know how to and what to plan. Stopping Obito would mean no one to help Itachi execute the massacre in a single night, stopping him would also mean, no Akatsuki, and no Akatsuki means no Tailed Beast extraction, and that by itself stops so many people from dying needlessly. Okay, Oplan: Prevent Crusty-ass Madara from ever talking to Obito, now ongoing.

 **MISSION!**

 **CHANGING THE FUTURE**

 **Prevent Obito from going to the Kanabi Bridge!**

 **REWARD(S)!**

 **? Scrolls**

 **ACCEPT DECLINE**

I press Accept ofcourse, swiping at the notif to the side of my brain and blank out for a few moments.

Okay, now what? Why did I just remember this now? A few months later? Is it my baby brain?

 _ **No, child, you're just careless.**_

'Ah? And who're you?'

 ** _I'm just a special someone that got trapped inside you when you ripped time and inter dimensional space, no big deal._**

'Ah? For real? What?'

 ** _I am what I am._**

'Well, first of all. I am very sorry, I did not mean to die and be reincarnated. I should have been more careful. I'm sorry for not acknowledging you earlier than this.'

 ** _It's none of your fault, child. Plus, now that I spoke inside your mind, you can panic now._**

Yeah, you're right, I can panic— wait, _what? the fuck?_

 _Kushina and Minato are still alive! If this goes way back, and Sasuke is still a sperm, I'm probably stuck where Obito 'dies'! Or maybe this is post-Obito, but still! How old was Itachi when I saw him anyways? Fuck, that might help me plan all of this. Alive!Mikoto and little!Itachi means the massacre is still far away, if my calculations are right. I gotta warn the woman about Danzo!_

 _Wait_ , why am I panicking over them? I should be panicking over myself first! I have an unknown entity inside me!

 ** _Child, breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Good, I will explain things when you calm down enough._**

I froze up on my crib. After the 'Shit Accident', Kazu had to go do ANBU stuff ( _I was right_ ) with a huge bruise on his arm. 'Ma' is busy with her notebook again, thinking I'm asleep.

 ** _Are you okay now, Child? I will explain in a minute when you think you're ready._**

'I don't think I'll ever be ready. Just... Just go on please.'

 ** _Alright. I am Megami. I am a being that has been trapped inside you when you tore through a rift in the universe. You have absorbed a fourth of my powers, and it seems you also have the favor of the Almighty._**

I digest all of what Megami said quietly, eyes boring into the light blue ceiling on my nursery. Wind flowed through the open window, and I thanked every single deity out there that the Narutoverse wasn't as polluted as Earth was. The Elemental Nations may not be advance with technology, but they do have longer civilian lifespans with the fresh air. Thank goodness, I did not end up in Attack on Titan. Or Tokyo Ghoul. Or FMA.

Now that you think about it, it's still going to be a lot safer here even if I went by the sheer amount of canon fodder in the Second War alone.

Imagine a giant, naked, abnormal giant is trying to eat you to try and gain humanity, a simple date costs you human life, and a talking armor.

Atleast here, I'm not canon fodder. I mean, how many children here are reincarnated, trapped a being _inside_ their body like a freaking _bijuu_ , _and_ be the favorite of someone called _Almighty_.

I swear if that's just the Naruto version of All Might, _I will flip a table_.

'Okay, and?'

 ** _You, child, have attained powers beyond what any shinobi in this lifetime can ever achieve. The Sage of Six Paths might as well be in the same league as you._**

'No, Megami. Let's not go there please, that's so scary.'

 ** _If you say so. But you may choose to seal this power for now while I recover my strength._**

'Wait, are you being cooperative only because you're still recovering? You won't go all Shukaku on me, won't you?'

 ** _I suggest you take your words back. Do not compare me to the tailed beasts._**

'Sorry.'

I received a soft hum in reply and I fiddle with my fingers. I felt a wash of gentle warmth envelop me and suddenly, I was face to face with a child, no older than eight years old.

 ** _Do you know why you shouldn't compare me to them now?_**

Infront of me was a child with gray hair flowing all the way to her ankles ala Mavis Vermillion, garbed with a plain white dress that reached just above feet. She walked over to me like she was on the moon, gracefully bounding over with pupilless eyes that kinda unnerved me but was strangely friendly looking.

'Heh, you call me child but you're a child yourself.'

 ** _I am old enough to be your great-grandmother forty times over._**

'Still!' She smiled at me and sat down with a gentle 'plop'. I followed suit and sat down beside her, and stare at nothing.

 ** _Let us make a few things clear, shall we?_**

I nod and look at her intently. Someone pat me on the back, I'm not panicking.

 ** _You may only call forth my power when you encounter a bijuu or a boss summon. Any less than that and I will make sure your insides are thoroughly cooked. Second, you may use me as a summon, although I will appreciate it if you only call me out if it's a life and death situation. I prefer to sleep and waste my time away only until you almost get killed._**

I nod and say my quiet thanks. The gentle warmth left me and I was left still frozen on my crib, stomach growling in hunger. 'Ma' got up and scooped me from my crib, gently pushing my bottle in my mouth.

My eyes fluttered close and I silently sip on my milk. Ideally, I would try to befriend all the main characters and their parents, but I don't think I want to be thrust into canon plotline this early. I still haven't fully understood how this RPG style level system works, but I think I'll get it pretty soon.

Now to my main problem. I cannot stop the Kyuubi no matter what. Some people must die in order to formulate a proper plan. If I am correct, I may be a year older than Naruto, so I may be put into class with Team Gai. If I am wrong however, I may or may not be able to pretend to be some kind of oracle and warn people of the massacre. The Uchiha is vital to take down Danzo because he only leveled up when he got the eyes of the massacred. Plus I can use that to my advantage if one of the primary clans in Konoha backs me up. I think if I can rope Hiruzen into my plans, it will work.

I'm getting tired, all of this planning is so tiring for my baby brain.

 _ping!_

 **STAT UPDATE!**

 **INT (1) — INT (7)**

Alright, I'll plan the rest of this tomorrow and get some sleep for now.

I hope I don't die a second time.


	3. chapter 3

The following day, I decided I need to get moving or my sorry ass would get caught in the crossfire badly. The cyclops named Danzo isn't gonna wait until I get level 50 or get strong enough to cut his head clean off of his shoulders. First up, I must be mobile first.

 **MISSION!**

 **HAWK VERSUS EAGLE**

 **Defeat Danzo!**

 **REWARD(S)!**

 **Right to be Clan Head**

 **7,000 EXP**

 **PERMANENT 2 to BASIC STATS**

 **SIDE MISSION! (OPTIONAL)**

 **Expose Danzo's plans to Hiruzen and the Civilian Council.**

 **BONUS REWARD(S)!**

 **ACCEPT DECLINE**

Wow, that's a lot of EXP! I wonder how much my current stats amount to? How do you pull the character sheet out anyway? Ugh, if only I played more RPG and less Outlast and some other VR shit. I don't know, 'Stats?'

A light blue dot had made itself apparent, blinking rapidly and when my eye landed on it, my character sheet appeared.

 **USHIJIMA KEN**

 **LEVEL: TWO(2) [0/300]**

 **AGE: 6 MONTHS**

 **VILLAGE: KONOHA**

 **BASIC STATS**

 **STA 5**

 **PER 7**

 **CHA 7**

 **INT 7**

 **AGI 7**

 **LUK 10**

 **PERKS!**

 **NONE OBTAINED YET**

 **HP: 150/150**

 **CP: 5,000/5,000**

Oh wow. 5K chakra points?! For a baby that's barely even half a year old? Megami gave me a _lot_ to work with.

'Thanks, Megami! This'll help me alot.'

A tinkling sound like little bells went off gently in the back of my mind and a warmth enveloped me for a few seconds. I smile to myself and mentally pat myself on the back. Okay, now that I found out how to check my stats, I should work on getting myself up and start walking or something. I grip the sides to the crib as hard as this body could, and roll over to my stomach. I know babies should learn how to crawl first but I ain't no normal baby! Walk first, and then crawl. Okay, good plan. Now, if only I could use something to balance myself with. Maybe this sausage pillow can act as a cane.

I pull myself up and stand, leaning on the pillow slightly. I force my right foot forward and do the same with my left. It took me half an hour of trying to walk with support and another half without. Ma seems to be engrossed in whatever she is writing, while I quietly train myself. After making sure that I got walking down to the last letter, I deliberately push against the side of my crib and cry.

"Uwah! Mamman!"

I swear Ma used to be jonin or I will bang my head against the wall. There is no way she's a kunoichi below jonin with how fast she got to me and scooped me out of the crib. She hugged me to her chest, making me sigh contentedly. So this is how it feels to be near your mom, huh? I never got to know my first mom. Well, there's no point in mulling over things in the past.

She set me on my high chair, played with me a little and soon left to go get my bottle. I wait patiently on the chair, swinging my feet and looking around her office, and seeing a hitai-ate that had seen better days. Wow, I'm from a ninja family. Maybe my dad is KIA? I hope not. Is the Ushijima actually a canon clan? Maybe we were overshadowed by the other major clans? That doesn't matter.

Ma came back shaking a bottle and I made grabby hands at it, why? Because I'm hungry. She laughed and gave the bottle to me, making sure I held onto it firmly. She stared at me for a while and I stared back at her. Her eyes are a pretty pair of light lavender, but not light enough to be considered a Hyuuga. Her eyelashes were pretty normal looking but were curled and turned upwards. Her hair was navy blue, pretty much the same shade as mine. She cracked a smile and I smiled back, showcasing my gum's barely there upper tooth.

A loud crash came from the door of her office and out came Kazu. His stomach was bleeding, and he was dripping blood on the pretty tatami floor. Ew.

"Eugh." I gagged as he grimaced, and laid down on the floor, making more of a mess. I whined loudly and pointed at him. Ma, he's ruining the floor!

"You don't like blood, Ken?" He asked as he ripped off his ruined shirt, exposing his bellybutto— wait, did someone _stretch out his bellybutton?_

I nod my head at his question and put a hand on my nose, pushing it down since I still cannot fully utilize my fingers by the pairs to pinch my nose. He chuckled and blood dripped from his open stomach and holy shit— _icanseehisdigestivesystemeww._

Ma knelt down next to him, hands glowing light green and slowing closing the wound _whatever you call that_ while I drink from my bottle, quietly observing from my high chair. He was sweating profusely, so much that my baby brain actually thought he could water the parched lands of Suna.

He was gripping Ma's arm tightly but Ma didn't seem to mind. Her hands kept on pulling at the skin, closing it slowly but surely. Like magic, she took a needle out of thin air and slowly stitched him up, but now he had a thin, barely there line of sewn skin on his tummy instead of a bellybutton. He laid on the floor, knocked out cold and left Ma to carry him over to his room. Heh, ANBU Black Ops but still gotta get tucked into bed. I have something to hold over his head now. A few seconds later, Ma reemerged from the hallway with a wet rug and started to rub at the blood-stained tatami floors. My bottle was halfway done and was starting to lose warmth.

"Mamman. Botel." I wave the 3/4 done bottle around to get her attention, and she stopped what she was doing, went out of the room, and came back holding another one. She switched the bottles and put the other one in the side of her office table, leaving me with a warm new bottle. I wriggle on my high chair, wanting to explore the house now that I got the walking down.

Ma must've noticed me and she stopped what she was doing, and stared at me. I stop wriggling and hit the chair twice in a 'let me out' kind of way and kick both my feet.

"Yes, yes. I'll let you down now." She chuckled and I stay still as she let me down and went back to scrubbing the floor. I stood on my feet and wobbly walk over to her. Trying to find the 'film of warmth' as the fanfics described chakra inside my body, I stay completely still. I felt the chakra in me start to buzz in a comforting way under my skin once I found the chakra coil in my stomach. Either that's the coil or what I'm pulling is Megami's chakra. I figured it's mine since there's no resistance. I tried to channel the chakra to my feet so I don't wobble and it actually worked. I bounced over to Ma and she looked up at me, eyes widening.

"Mamman. Blad." I point to the stain on the floor. Ma's eyes started to water and she let go of the rag. She pulled me aside and backed up a few steps.

"Come to Mama, Ken!" She urged and I resisted rolling my eyes and quietly walked over to her, chakra pooling at the soles of my feet so I do not wobble when walking. The knees of this body is hardly even that developed but with chakra it should be easily covered. She beamed at me and went to a place further away. I sinply walked over to her again, using more chakra to glue myself to the floor.

 _ping!_

 **MISSION!**

 **Explore the house and find the [HIDDEN ROOMS]**

 **HIDDEN ROOMS FOUND: 0/?**

 **REWARD(S)!**

 **[SAFE ROOM] unlocked**

 **100 EXP**

 **Jutsu Scroll x5**

Okay, seems I can't choose whether I accept or decline this one. I swipe at the notification in my mind and it went to the back of my head. I walk over to the door, leaving Ma inside who was trying to find her pen, already clutching her notebook. Maybe to record my progress? No time to think about what she's doing, I gotta escape and finish the mission!

I wobble-ran to the hallway and immediately spot a glowing dot on the wall, just across Ma's office. I reach for the dot and tapped it, immediately met with the smell of Kazu, mixed with a small hint of something iron-y smelling. Huh, Kazu's room is a hidden room? Figures, since it's hidden behind a wall. I got a notification that said I found one of ? rooms. I fist pumped and looked around for more glowing dots.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

In the end, I found all 7 hidden rooms inside the house. The first one was Kazu's room, then there was a room just below the hallway floor, a room under the rug in the middle of the living room that had another room underneath the hidden room, a room underneath the coat hanger, the entrance big enough for someone, let's say, Kakashi to wriggle through. The last two hidden rooms inside the house were actually Ma's bedroom and my nursery. The EXP I should have gained once I found the rooms that I thought was all of them, still didn't appear in my Stat Sheet. I figured there must be some hidden rooms outside the house.

Ma had seen me trying to open the door leading to the garden and thankfully, opened the door for me. She followed me outside and sat on the porch that overlooked the fishpond in the middle of the garden. I see a glimpse of a blinking, blue dot in the middle of the pond and immediately, I knew that the last one would be underneath the pond.

A _ping_ let me know that I have found all of them and received the EXP. Where are my scrolls though?

Huh, do I have an inventory or something? Ugh, RPG games are so complex, I cannot.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

A month later, I had finally found out the mechanics of this game. The settings and other stuff could be activated when you think of it and you could also get subtitles and language options. Ofcourse, I went for japanese but my subs were in english. Now I know what they're saying, and strangely enough, I automatically knew the japanese translation of whatever it is that came out of my mouth. I have also discovered the Perk List and the tutorial option. I had a quick rundown of what was what and what did what. It was a confusing but strangely fun experience. The first hour was me trying to get used to reading of the corner if my eye, since I discovered that I needed to crane my neck if I want to read something from the menu. It was different from reading subs that much I can tell you. A few months passed since then. I also discovered that Sasuke was still a sperm and therefore, the Kyuubi accident would be quite a long way to go and I still have time to get a butterfly effect going.

I took to learning the basic kanji to start my fuinjutsu training real early. Apparently, what I had been doing to stop my wobbling was chakra control (I didn't know lol) and I got accustomed to it pretty quickly. I always bugged Kazu whenever it was his free time to teach me ninja stuff while he reluctantly complied. He looked at me weirdly at times but would later steel his eyes and limit whatever it was that he was teaching me.

(=)人(=)

Ken was a weird child, Kazuhiko had come to accept that fact. The thing is, Ken was strangely _aware_ of what was happening to his surroundings, like he's hypersensitive to the things that move within a certain amount of radius. The kid was also very, _very_ perceptive and smart for someone as young as him, walking and using a few words at a time. The few weeks that passed cemented the thought of Ken being a budding genius into Kazu's mind.

The child walked towards him, chakra pooling at his knees down, as if to prevent him from wobbling. Ma had also told him about Ken purposely looking for the rooms that were supposed to be hidden in the estate. The scariest thing that happened was actually just a days ago. He was bery called into the Hokage's office, and he was told to just relax until further notice. He had been lounging at the safe side of the gardens, overlooking his Ma's very deadly and very poisonous garden. Ken cane waddling towards him, holding a rubber kunai, his sketch pad and a box of what looked like his coloring materials. He dumped the stuff infront of Kazuhiko and promptly demanded to be taught the basics of fuinjutsu, Kazuhiko, despite being ANBU, had to do a double take and dumbly processed what his baby brother just said.

"Teach seal. Now." He said, looking positively excited in his childlike way. At first, Kazu tried to bribe him out of training but the child seemed to have realized something.

"Teach seal. Now please." He repeated, showing off his gummy smile at the mere age of almost 12 months old. He sighed and taught the kid how to seal toys into his kid-friendly scroll that was specially manufactured for the clan kids.

This had went on for a few days, until he caught his brother murmuring _complete, adult-like sentences to himself_.

"...if it's a few months from now, I have less than a 0% chance, maybe bump that up to 2 if I'm hoping for a miracle, to stop that from happening..."

"...if I try to do that I have 75% more cons than pros, no no, but, let's say if they do fall for it..."

"... ah, I can use that but it'll be suicidal..."

So imagine his shock when he stumbled upon Ken drawing what looked like a spider diagram with his own invented code. He wrote with a neat handwriting, scribbles that shown him a few letters he had recognised, namely A-D and S, and underlined or circled those with what looked like the ones with the highest percentages at the side. He suddenly stopped murmuring to himself and stuffed the paper under his shirt, and then _slowly_ turned.

"How much did you hear?"

Kazuhiko readied his kunai.


	4. chapter 4

For anyone that's confused by Ken's progress and age, here's the explanation.

Ken was 6 months old when he learned how to walk with chakra grounding him so he wouldn't wobble. At seven months, he learned of the game menu and the subs. Fastforward a few months, he started learning basic fuinjutsu. Another fast forward and at 12 months (not yet a year old) and he was caught planning his moves for the next years.

For those that think Ken's overpowered since his basic stats are too high for a baby (average for a high chuunin level shinobi), do remember that Ken is reincarnated. It was mentioned that he has the favor of some higher up, and he also has Megami to back him up.

His high chakra level is mainly because of two things. The first one is Megami, and the second one is his age from his old life. Chakra is harvested from two points of energy, the physical and the spiritual. He may be a year old in the Narutoverse but his mental/spiritual age is Naruto in Shippuden.

I hope this cleared out any confusion!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Naruto. If I did, he'd be a spoilt child.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Kazuhiko's grip on his kunai was shaking. Shaking from fear? Maybe. Shaking from anger? Maybe. He was just seconds away from literally bombing the left wing of their one-story house, and if not for his confusion he would've have immediately followed ANBU Protocol for this circumstance, only he would have to hurt _Ken_. His one and only brother that he'd be more than happy to kill for if necessary. His mind was slowly overheating, the pressure of doing good for his village and his devotion to his brother was silently tearing him apart, that is until he was whacked across the cheek with a warfan toy. He stared down helplessly at Ken who's eye were staring at him, no, _staring through him_.

He kneeled down infront of the toddler, arms spread out. He ignored the loud warning bells that rung inside his head and the urge to run away when he peered down at his brother's face. A small, serene smile was on his lips but his eyes were wicked, glinting with an evil he can't quite take his eyes off.

Slowly, quietly. 

Ken walked over to Kazuhiko's open arms and placed his arms tight around the older's neck, ignoring the sudden wave of KI and stiffness. It died down as soon as he loosened his grip, nudging the ANBU's neck with the top of his head. Kazuhiko wrapped his arms around Ken, tentative pats on his head and back that lasted for a few minutes. Kazu pulled away, holding Ken by the shoulders in a stern grip.

"Tell me what you were doing. Trust me, I will never do anything to harm or betray you. I promise." His deep voice cut through the air and Ken almost, _almost,_ teared up. A small smile was on his lips, as if he was resigned and he was sure of something. Ken blinked, once, thrice, and quadruple times, scanning Kazu's face for any lies.

Unsurprisingly, his face only showed genuine emotion, as if he was torn between two things.

He pulled on the older's flak jacket, making him sit on the ground. Holding the other's hand, he let him inside his mindscape.

It was a huge surprise for Ken to know that an ANBU chose his brother rather than do what he was supposed to do. It was like Ken outweighed the _village_.

'Megami? Can you alter his memories?' He ask, hopeful that he might just get out of this mess the easy way.

 **Unfortunately, I can but it'd be obvious the memory is tampered. I'd have to completely wipe it out and replace it.** She replied, leaning over to watch Kazu, who's temporarily black out.

'That'll do, thank you.' Megami nodded and sent a small sphere of what looked like vivid memory over to Kazu. It slowly merged into the older's head, until it completely disappeared.

 **Don't let him see your mindscape. Let go.** Megami commanded and Ken complied. It was nerve wracking to see if it really worked. He let go of Kazu's hand and let him return to his senses.

Kazu opened his eyes and Ken did his best to pout and huff like a kid.

"You sleep!" He exclaimed, lie making him guilty. Kazu rubbed the top of his head and apologized, saying he was exhausted from work.

'Kazu doesn't need to be dragged into my problems.'

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Kaya Ushijima always thought her youngest child was safe. No, it all started when she and her son dropped by the Aburame compound to get some medical herbs and to just let Ken know who lives just a few steps away.

Ken was obviously excited, considering it is his first time going out of the house by walking and not being carried. He ran over to the compound gates, ogling the gate guard for the day—who just so happened to be little Shibi, who was assigned at the time. Ken was blatantly staring, hand going up and patting his stomach.

"Shibi-kun! How are you?" Kaya politely asked, bowing in her usual respecful nature.

A quiet _Kaya-sama_ she heard came out of Shibi's mouth and he looked at the child still ogling him.

"Please excuse my son, it's his first time walking out." She said, directing Ken over to her.

"Your son is lucky, a kidaichū is very hard to keep inside one's body." He said, rummagin through the packages behind him to give the older woman.

"A kidaichū? Doctor Saki told me it was a kikaichū." Her brows met in worry and a frown appeared on her mouth.

"Well, considering it's appearance, I'm positive it was a kidaichū." Her frown deepened as she said her thanks and bid farewell. Her son shouldn't be inheriting anything from his donor this _early_. She sighed as she went on her way, Ken in tow.

If Shibi was correct and Doctor Saki lied to her, she could sue the woman for giving false information, considering her son's life was on the line. But if she does, it'd blow up and she's sure the normally quiet and peaceful Aburame would fight tooth and nail for _her_ son.

For _their blood_. 

They know the Ushijima clan is part of the minority in the Council, with a success rate of almost 10% in the luckiest of days. She just knows the Hyūga would side with the Aburame, knowing the Ushijima clan is led by a bastard child of a Main Branch member.

They'd do anything to ruin her. She grit her teeth and pulled Ken beside her. Her appearance would scream 'Hyūga' if not for her eyes that she inherited from her father, an Aburame who died in the Second War, not getting the chance to even marry her mother. Although, thankfully, her Byakugan manifested at a late age, 17. She was lucky enough that it did, or else she would've been forced into the Branch family.

For her, it was okay if her son developed the ability to house kikaichū in his body, and it would be okay for her son to manifest the byakugan too. But at this rate, her son is going to be considered a prodigy, (she witnessed first hand his genius chakra control at such a young age, his actions that tried to conceal his mature thoughts, and his unbelievable ability to learn and adapt so fast, faster than what a toddler should be able to) and she had her suspicions that not only the Hokage has heard of her son (Kazuhiko being in the ANBU proved very useful) but also the other clans as well.

The Council will most definitely be of most threat to her, especially the war hawk, as he was rumoured to pick outstanding children and orphans to put in his ROOT division.

Sighing, she looked at her son who's happily waving to everyone. She knew she felt something _crawl_ on her that night when she had done her part of the deal with that Aburame.

 _The poor man just wanted a child_. 

The one that shared the same fate as her father. How did she become so stupid and reckless? Did the burden of taking care of a child that wasn't even her own take away years and years of hard-learned lessons? Ken wasn't supposed to be _hers_. Ken was supposed to be given to the Aburame once the man ( _she can't even remember his name_ ) returned from the frontlines. If she sues Doctor Saki, it would backfire on her.

 _Badly._

She forced herself to calm down, as it would do her nothing to continue getting all worked out.

She passed by Mikoto, who was carrying a few bags of groceries. Seeing Itachi absent was unusual and a bit worrying, Mikoto is the wife of a major clan head. She rushed over to the Uchiha matriarch, patting her shoulder and pulling the woman aside so they were underneath some shade. The woman's pale skin and dark hair reminded her so much of her mother, minus the dark eyes and calm face.

"You're not supposed to be going around alone, Mikoto. You know what happened the other week." She said, staring at the Uchiha with as much 'you're-not-a-child-anymore' feelings she could put into her face.

The other sighed, and looked away. Kaya's stare softened until she spotted the miniscule pout on Mikoto's mouth. A tick mark appeared on her forehead.

"Mikoto!"

"I know okay? Impulsive buying isn't a deadly disease, Kaya. Calm down." She laughed, totally uncharacteristic for one who doesn't know an Uchiha personally. It was her turn to sigh as she rubbed her temples.

"Just be careful with what you buy. I heard about Itachi's obsession with crows nowada—" She choked on her words as she gripped the package in her hands.

In front of her, a man old enough to be her grandfather towered above her son. His hair was wild and his cane was taller than Ken. The child stared up and stopped whatever it was he was doing, before his mouth morphed into a feral snarl. The hair in the back of her nape stood up on ends and she stayed frozen in her spot, Mikoto sharing the same line of vision as her, equally shocked.

The cross mark on the man's chin seemed very ominous for some reason and Kaya found herself opening and closing her mouth, words unable to form.

"Ushijima-san. I would like to talk to you in private."

It wasn't a request.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

The word about a child no older than a year old surviving a rinkaichū directly feeding off of his chakra coil and was up and about within just a few minutes of napping, spread faster than Minato's ability to move about in the battlefield. So imagine the shock of every council elder in the Aburame clan when they heard of this. At first, they were against the thought of using the clan's reputation and power to gain custody of the child, but later on decided they will if there was no other way.

It was honestly supposedly a normal stomach bug, as what the child's brother has reported, so did it come to this? Because of this event, the Aburame were sure the kid was atleast 1/4 of their blood.

Stomach bugs weren't literal bugs. 

The ability to house such a deadly creature at such a young age without the guidance of an Aburame senior (one that has growing chakra coils too, hence, unmonitored chakra inflation and deflation) was both disturbing and amazing.

It was disturbing in a sense that a child _that_ young was already a prodigy, a genius in his own right. It was amazing in a sense that a child that young was _already_ a prodigy, unrivalled by any child his age in his awe-inspiring, albeit short line of achievements.

The Aburame wanted the child in their tutelage, for four main reasons.

First, the child had been rumoured to be a genius when it came to chakra control, and more chakra control means easier time controlling his kikaichū. A child genius would bring pride and attention to their clan.

Second, the child was found with a rinkaichū feeding directly from his coil. Aburame children are introduced to their lifelong partners a day after birth, since that way the child can adjust immediately to the chakra-feeding bugs. Adult, war veterans had died when one simply found his way to the place where chakra was the most unstable, dying immediately. A child surviving without anyone to guide him was a miracle.

Third, there are only three known people in the clan currently housing rinkaichū that are unposted in any front. Two are female, one is a male. The male has been reported to be dead in a battle front, but Doctor Saki was sure she saw those eyes before. The exact same shade of blue, if not sharper and icier, was the same with Sato Aburame. The doctor would know, he was her brother afterall. There was no way the kid was less than 1/4 Aburame.

Fourth reason, the current head of the Ushijima clan, Kaya Ushijima, based on investigation, was a half-Aburame. The other half cannot be identified. Based on this alone, they have the power to absorb the whole Ushijima clan into their ranks and expand their numbers. They have a high chance of getting her son in a formal battle in the Council courts. She had a high possibility of being a Hyūga but really? They were the most traditional of all of the clans in Konoha. They put the Caged Bird seal on the Branch members just to protect the secrets of their kekkei genkkai.

 _There was no way a bastard child happened._

It was just a matter of finding out who was an Aburame in the couple who formed the current clan head.

(=)人(=)

Kazuhiko was worried about Ken. 

The kid would fidget whenever he tried to get closer, and Kazu was beginning to think that the kid is suffering from another type of illness. He had had enough of the fidgeting and put his hands on the toddlers shoulder.

He looked the child straight in the eye, trying to find any signs of discomfort. He found none.

"Why do you keep fidgeting?" He asked, trying to keep the child still. It wasn't normal. It _wasn't_ Ken. Ken was normally a very active child, and he'd move around the house often. But to fidget in place? That's kind of a trigger to make the teen worry.

"Azu? I tell you somethin'." He murmured and Kazu couldn't help himself but hug the child

 _he's so cute i can't even_

"You can tell me anything." A dull pain suddenly appeared in his temples but he ignored it. Ken is more important.

"I dream of somethin'. Som' 'an name Obito dies at som' 'lace called Kanabi Bridge." He said, and Kazuhiko's eyes widened.

"R-really? Is he the only one dying?" He asked curiously, eager to know more about his brother's strange dream.

"Mhmm," He fidgets _again_ , "There's this girl name Rin who die too." and that sealed the deal for Kazuhiko. He knows those two. But they never visited the compound, nor have he talked about them.

He stood up and pat Ken on the top of his head and told the kid he's going to go to work. The child was proving to be more and more of worth to him.

Oh how he loved his little brother.

彡

Heya! I've done a couple of edits in the past chapters, and I'd recommend that you look back for the small changes I made. They're nothing too drastic, and maybe you'd see some stuff I just randomly put in.

Oh and yeah, this is the last disclaimer~

I don't own Naruto and the rest of the franchise. I only own the plot and the many, _many_ OC's over here.

じゃね


	5. chapter 5

The next year, it was a slow gain of EXP for me. I tried to find side-quests that helped me level up faster (the faster the better), and it was excruciating. The pain of checking everyday for a full year had me shook to the core and it kinda just slapped me in the face how I needed to stop treating this new life I've been blessed with like a game.

I mean, yeah, RPG style of leveling up using EXP could be the main reason, but I think it's because everywhere I look I see people's profiles. I even see their stats and basic info. It took me a while to get used to the pop-ups but nothing I can't handle. It wasn't the time for me to slack off though, so I started dabbling in clan politics, continued my fuinjutsu training (which was level 7 now, making me able to seal stuff as big as Ma and Kazu, seal a few basic ninjutsu and pack more food.), started learning how to cook and learn about poisons from Ma (literally was painful and _fun_ at the same time) and started getting used to Academy-issued kunai.

It took me a full 6 months to realize that although the Ushijima was part of the minor _shinobi_ clans, they were at the top of the richest _merchant_ clans. My mom was a direct supplier for the Fire Daimyo's silks and made his family's clothes for every occasion, and we also supplied the palace with the best armor for their samurai. Not only did the Fire Daimyo know my mother personally, but he also exclusively took said goods from her. Which in turn made the Ushijimas a favorite for the other Daimyo's to turn to, whether it be for their samurais armors or their clothes. Basically, in terms of merchant income alone, the Ushijima Clan ran Konoha, having dominated the charts of the highest incomes with almost 37% under our belt, the Akimichi following us with 17% with all their restaurants and collaborations with the Yamanaka and Nara.

It took me another full six months to realize I was rich in this life too, because I thought the Ushijima clan as a whole supplied the Daimyo, but it turns out my mom was famous for her silks and that's because the clothes she make are either made from the rarest materials, is sewn with literal gold on the fabric, or had life-prolonging properties (it's actually real, Ushijima clan members/ninja all typically die almost decades later than most of their peers, kind of like the Uzumaki, but in clothes) and by rhe time I accomplished all these, I was two and my body was starting to grow taller and I was starting to also put on a little more weight. The discovery I made let me know I can spend my money in things that's actually going to let me live longer. I asked Ma how much money I'll be allowed to bring with me when I'm allowed to go out of the compound, and do you know how much she said?

560,000 ryo. 555,000 yen is equal to five thousand dollars (and a few change) over here. For every one ryo is equivalent to to ten yen. You do the math. Imagine how much I can buy and how many people I can make my pawns to help get the butterfly effect I want. Holy.

After hearing that, I made up my mind and begged her to let me go out. She said it was okay but then I'd have to have atleast a chūnin with me at all times. I argued with her that I just want to play with the other kids in the playground.

She said it's either I have someone go with me or I don't go out at all.

"Ma~," I whine, "—is boring 'ere! I wan' play 'lone!" I sit down on the floor as gently as I can, ( _i've got too much baby booty fat for this floor_ ) and lie down on the floor, sniffling loudly. The best way to get what you want when you're a kid? Act cute while crying. It'll break their hearts, I'd know since it worked on me and for me.

"Ken, he or she don't have to play with you. All they're going to do is play bodyguard."

Ugh, why can't you just let me be? I have to sneak into the Uchiha compound!

"But Ma~ That means they go'n 'ta play too!" I heard a hand smack a forehead. Ooh, Jashin. Just let me win already. I'm trying to save our asses here.

"Ken, no, just— Okay, stop crying. I'll let you go out alone, alright? Please stop crying!" Ma desperately tried to stop my tears, already kneeling infront of me and using her kimono sleeves to wipe my fake tears.

"I get play 'lone?" I ask, using the most pitiful, most broken voice I can muster.

"Yes, yes." She said, visibly relaxing once my sniffling died down. She pulled me up to my feet and gave me a little lady-bug backpack, and stuffed some wads of cash inside, putting the change into a bright yellow duck coin purse. She changed my clothes, and stuck me into a light blue casual yukata. It had white, little doves at the sleeves. I wore open toed sandals, not quite the ones Academy students use but the ones your one uncle uses? Yeah, that one, except it was all black and went pretty well with my ensemble. After kissing my forehead goodbye, I went on my merry way, saying my greetings to the people I encounter inside the compound.

Okay, first up! Ichiraku Ramen! No one who visits Konoha should ever forget the future, Seventh Hokage endorsed ramen shop. Armed with my bag and coin purse, I set my feet outside of the compound. I ran to the Aburame compound gate, saying hi to the guard and asking directions to Ichiraku's.

Seems they're quite the distance away, but it doesn't matter. Ramen is the food of the gods.

'Hey, Megami?'

 **Yes?**

'Have you tried ramen?' The familiar warmth enveloped me and a twinkling like sound sounded off behind my head.

 **I have never tried any kind of food.**

'Ha? What do you mean?' I inquire, opening the in-game map to see if I really was going in the right direction. I was. The streets were kind of dull, if not bare. The primary colors used by the buildings around the village were the same offwhite, gray and brown. There were houses that had colors not the above said, but were pale and not vibrant. It was pretty depressing, but I guess it fits since we're in a war and many families are mourning.

 **I'm an entity that's in between chakra and a spirit. I don't need food to function.**

'Oh. Okay.' She cut off connections and the warmth enveloping me disappeared. I was infront of Ichiraku's anyways. The stall itself was pretty small, and it looked like the stall it had in Japan, where the inspiration was gotten. It had a few seats in front of the counter and you could see them make the noodles when you order. I struggled to get up on the seat at the far right, just next to the wall, due to my pitiful height. Thankfully, someone had the heart to help me and I found myself plopping down on the seat comfortably. I turned around and was met with long, fluffy red hair all up in my face, and bright, blue eyes. Ah?

"Thank you?"

It took me a full five seconds to realize that the person who helped me was the one and only, Red Hot Habanero, Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze. Wait, is she married to Minato now?

"Oh, Minato! Look at him! And his bag too!" She gushed and pushed her palms against she cheeks, squishing her face. Her boyfriend/husband smiled at me and ruffled my hair. Wow, his hand is big enough to grip my whole head. It was honestly a very fatherly gesture, one I realize I missed all this time.

"Hello! I'm Ken!" I say, waving my hand and smiling my best so-smol-protect-for-life smile in an attempt to further squeeze Kushina's heart.

"Calm down, Kushina. My name is Minato and she's Kushina, nice to meet you, Ken—", He shook my small hand slowly, as if ge was scared he'd pull my arm from its socket. "What are you doing here alone, hm? Where's your mom?" Minato asked as he sat next to me, keeping an arm behind my seat.

"I wan' play 'lone and got hungry." Ugh, my baby mouth can't even.

"Oh, I see! What do you want to eat? We'll pay!" Kushina butted in and proceeded to order a few bowls of ramen. I looked on in amazement as Kushina inhaled two bowls of ramen just when Minato finished half of his bowl.

"What do you want to eat, little g— wait, aren't you Kaya-sama's son? Ushijima Ken, right?" A man behind the counter asked, oh goodie, Teuchi!

"Ah, yes! I'd like one chashū ramen please! With an extra helping of pork too!"

"Coming right up! One chashū ramen and extra pork!" It was honestly the best experience here so far, watching Teuchi stretch the noodles so fast and using low level fire techniques to cook the broth and noodles.

And then it came. I could almost hear the angels sing hallelujah in the distance, bells pleasantly tinkling in my ears. Or was that Megami? I really don't know.

The first bite was amazing. The noodles had that very flavourful taste and the texture was just right. It wasn't the noodles I'd taste when eating at a japanese restaurant back in New York, but it was better and more chewier. I can see why Naruto got so attached to Ichiraku-made ramen.

"This is great! Can you make one for take-out, Chef-san?" I ask, pulling my bag off and putting it on my lap. I pull half from a wad of cash and check the price of what I ate.

500 ryo, plus extra 120 ryo for the pork. Maybe I'll pay for Minato and Kushina's ramen too? Eh, they're adults. I'll let them pay for themselves.

Just then I realized that Teuchi said my name loudly, and now people kept on looking over to where I sat. I pay quickly and say my goodbyes to the couple and Teuchi. I got off of the chair (with Minato's help) and ran outside, looking down so I avoided eye contact with anyone.

I open the in-game map discreetly and stick to the middle of the streets. The Uchiha district was a long way from Ichiraku. The Leaf was so vast and wide, you'd take a few hours just to get from one side of the village to the other. Unless you're a ninja, you could run a suicide and it'll take you about 2-3 hours depending on how fast of a runner you are. It was that big. No wonder Gai and Lee have so much stamina.

I take a sharp left and lo and behold, the Uchiha compound! It was very lively when I got there. People with dark hair and dark eyes sold trinkets, clothes, and wow, they got dango!

The Uchiha compound was bustling with life, people comforting others with hugs and bright smiles that promised a better tomorrow. It was touching, really. It made Ken sad that the very same people were pushed to the corner and triggered a coup because of an accusation, one without concrete proof. It broke his heart to see people that tried their best be ostracised in a village that supposedly taught their ninja teamwork. The Will of Fire wasn't all that practiced despite it being the favourite thing people in Konoha keep saying.

Ken went around, buying small trinkets for people he knew and just simply wanted to befriend. He brought a cute pineapple shaped trinket for Ma, a little bluebell trinket for Kazu, a fox for Kushina, a naruto for Minato, a Hokage hat trinket for Obito and a white puppy trinket for Kakashi. All seven were worth just under 150 ryo. It was a steal, Ken guessed. Or maybe he got a children's discount?

He carefully put the plastic of trinkets inside his bag and went about asking elderly people if they've seen Obito. Receiving yes for an answer, he asked around if they knew where he currently was. They all pointed out that the kid was always helping them early in the morning and would probably in the training grounds at four in the afternoon.

After saying my thanks, it was easy to get lost in the sea of people, all trying to just move about in the busy streets. I pulled my bag higher up my back, and squeezing through people's legs and zooming towards the training grounds.

The in-game map sure did prove useful.

"Now the question is, what ground he's currently in? I'll look in 7 first." He headed to Training Ground 7, to see it empty.

"Eh? Where are they?"

"What are you doing here, kid? It's dangerous here!" A teenager voice called out and Ken froze in his spot. Holy.

"Hey! Are you even listening to me?" A loud grumble under someone's breath he heard as he turned around. In all his blue and orange glory, Obito Uchiha stood tall. It was satisfying seeing him in person, as his hair was very poofy, unlike in the anime where it looked like he just couldn't be bothered in the mornings. It was cute and he was willing to bet all the money on him that he poofed his hair up for Rin.

"H-Hi! I'm looking for someone called Obito Uchiha! Is he here?" Ken blurted out, mentally slapping his forehead while Megami laughed in the background. You're supposed to make him feel like he's famous! Stroke his ego!

"A-ah! That's me, alright! Whaddya want, kid?" He pointed to himself and smiled. Ken wanted to know the secret to his brighter-than-the-sun smile.

"Here! Because you're gonna be the Hokage one day!" He shoved the trinket onto Obito's stomach (that's the highest he could reach, don't come for him ugh) and ran away. He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him, zooming through what he thought were the streets with his eyes closed (how he did not bump into something is a _miracle_ ) and finally stopped when he realized he ran straight into the forest. He cursed up a storm in his mind and tried to figure out where he was exactly. The in-game village map only worked inside on places with concrete and landmarks near them, but Ken was obviously in the forest.

 _ping!_

 **MISSION!**

 **Get out of the Forest of Death!**

 **REWARD(S)!**

Golly. He couldn't accept or decline once again. He was tempted to ask Megami for directions but remembered Megami was not really the best choice. I mean, she _was_ lost herself when she got trapped inside Ken.

No use asking someone who could possibly get him more lost than what he started out with. But wait, Forest of Death? That's bull! He ran from Training Ground 7 to— whatever! He had a meal's worth on his ladybug backback, a full water bottle, his toy kunai and an Academy-issued kunai, a whole plastic of trinkets and money. Now how to survive the first with just those was the unsung question.

'No, the real question is do chakra-reliant animals like ramen?' If they smell what he had, and try to find it. He's _screwed_.

A hand shot out and held Ken's collar. It was Obito.

"Geez kid! You shouldn't run without looking where you're going!" The older said with a blush. He rubbed the back of his head and dragged Ken back to the training grounds. It was dark and quite gloomy under all the trees thirty times the size of Obito. He followed the teen around, occasionally tripping on falling branches and random rocks laying about. He pulled his bag higher up his back, figure tensed and on the lookout. He wouldn't be given an in-game mission if it were just a joke, right?

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Saki Aburame was livid. Shaking with anger and sadness. How could that _bitch_ keep _her_ nephew away from his _rightful_ family? She knew those eyes. She knew that familiar glimmer was of someone she knew and looked at so closely.

She knew those eyes. She knew the exact same shade, if not brighter, was like her brother's eyes. The same familiar blue that shone so bright and comforted Saki. Her stoic face betrayed anything that pointed to her having raged inside her room. Her kikai were buzzing, a few spreading out and trying to find a way out to find the source of their host's agitation.

She knew she had no right to keep the boy, she was only the aunt and not the mother, _Kaya-sama_ was the one with the bigger right. They, the Aburame, hadn't expected Sato to have been in a relationship with the head of the Ushijima. There was a widely believed rumour that the female was unable to conceive, thus resorting to adopting the oldest kid still living in the orphanage, which was the jōnin people know as Kazuhiko.

Was she selfish for wanting a piece of her brother back? Was she selfish for thinking it was also her right to take care of Sato's child? Was she evil because she wanted to kill Kaya so that the child would be given to the Aburame? Was she? She wasn't, right?

She clutched the necklace the other ninja managed to salvage from Sato. They told her he died fighting not for Konoha, but for his 'child'. They were baffled at first, and thought it was a desperate attempt for him to live, a selfish desire that emerged so he could continuegiving himself hope to live. It was heartbreaking to know that, indeed, he really was fighting for his child. Sato was a good man. He would've given the child a comfortable life even without the Ushijima clan's riches.

A lone tear rolled down her cheek, and her kikai immediately spread to comfort her. It only made her cry more. The foreign beetle on her arm was weeping.

She wanted to scream. She wanted to rage once again. She wanted to cry for days.

She wanted her brother back.

Was it a crime to love a family member? She certainly loved Sato with her whole heart. She knew what she wants to happen was selfish.

 _It's not._

A small, quiet voice said from the back of her mind. It's just that her love and his love for the child were too different. Her brother loved the child unconditionally, loved the child before he even knew the gender, before he even had the chance to feel him kick his mother's stomach, before he even spoke his first word.

Before he was even a confirmed pregnancy.

His love was so great, that he was willing to go to war without any doubt in his mind that he would come back. He sucked it all up and went to war, knowing his sacrifice would give the child a better future, one where his unborn child was not expected to be a ninja. A child soldier. A killing machine.

 _He died before he even named the child._

Her love was polluted. She knows she's blinded by the want to feel the aura of her beother again. She knows the only reason she wants to get the child is for her to see those familiar blue orbs again. No doubt Kaya was already working on never letting the Aburame get Sato's son.

Another tear left Saki's eyes. She choked back a sob and put a hand on her heart. She wanted Sato back. She felt so vulnerable, so weak, so _lost_ that she almost cried while treating the child and had a mental breakdown as the icy blue orbs stared at her. It looked so much like Sato's eyes when they were younger. Ones that comforted her when she lost her own child. Her tears stopped flowing and she put a hand on her mouth to swallow the sobs back. She made up her mind. She's going to fight for Ken. She's going to do her duty as an Aburame. She's going to do her duty as Ken's aunt. She's going to bring back her brother's legacy to where he rightfully belongs. She wasn't selfish to want to take care of Ken. She wasn't selfish because she wants a piece of Sato back.

There was only one question left for the world to answer now.

Was she evil for wanting to kill Kaya?

彡

Hey guys! It's been a few days since my last update and well, I'm really sorry! I'm slowly easing into the story's canon plot line, so you can expect the RPG and action part of the story to finally come to life! I'll try to make the chapters about 3K to 4K words long so it's about ten minutes worth of reading. That's all!

じゃね


	6. chapter 6

It was a pleasant surprise for Obito to receive a little Hokage hat trinket from a little kid barely even reaching his hip. He was a cute little kid with a muted-red ladybug backpack high on his back and blue to white hair.

He was really cute.

Obito snickered, _I sound like Rin-chan_ , he thought, before he jogged after the kid that got shy and ran to the forest.

He would be lying if he said he didn't feel pressured. He'd be the one to blame and take responsibility if the kid ever gotten hurt. To think that the kid was also saying he'd become Hokage one day. Talk about pure, surreal innocence. He almost squeezed the poor child, if not for the possibility of Bakashi silently watching him interact with the child, for sure wondering why the kid gave him something.

He knew the kid, and he was damn sure almost everyone in Konoha do. The kid was a supposed 'prodigy' and to top that all off, he was from that rich clan. Son of the current clan head too. Lucky kid.

Anyways, back to the issue, they were somewhere in the forest. He knew this part as the 'more dangerous' part of the forest, as it was the border between the training grounds and the Forest of Death. Some animals that are labeled dangerous even for ninja are found here, and he was lucky the sun was only setting.

The last time he was here he was left to fend for himself alone in the night by some drunk chūnin that told him some stuff he can't even remember. He remember he was so excited that someone was going to take care of him and finally experience love but nah.

A branch snapped from a few meters away from the both of them and the older tensed up. He got a kunai from his pouch and positioned himself behind the child, an arm wrapping around the kid loosely in preparation to flee if it was a hostile presence. The kid was surprisingly calm and was oddly ready, pulling out his own kunai (the ones issued at the Academy, heavy weight enough to be of good practice in throwing but thin enough not to be used in a kunai to kunai fight.) before positioning himself in a stance. He swore he heard something buzz and fizzle but he ignored that and strained his ears to detect foreign sounds. A few seconds passed and he was ready to drop his kunai and stance, but decided against it in the last second.

If he was tensed before, he was really tensed now. It was impossible for the kid to make such sound. Imagine a kid growling?

The kid obviously heard it too as he began to tighten his hold on his kunai. Obito frowned at that as he squeezed the kid's shoulder in an attempt to say ' _I'm here, don't worry_ ' and to calm the child down.

The Forest of Death was exactly what it was called. It was home to many deadly animals, all very much able to maul or kill even a low chūnin. He adjusted his grip and strained his ears once again. His heart was beating so loudly, he didn't register the moment the kid threw his own kunai and hit something.

He craned his head and saw a black toad about the size of a small bulldog with a kunai cleanly embedded on its body. Wait, a toad? A toad growled? He was too late as he felt the searing pain travel up his right thigh.

He stabbed it and carried the child up to a place faraway from the now dead toads. He cursed himself for not learning tree walking quick enough. He ran and threw a kunai with an explosive tag attached to the horde of toads now croaking and chasing after them. The kid on his arms squeaked and held onto Obito for dear life as he grit his teeth through the pain.

He can't feel anything on his right hip down to his right foot other than pain and _pain_. He ran faster, making sure to check if the kid got any bites on him, discreetly. His right arm was starting to become painful too, and it was beginning to hurt to hold the kid and run at the same time. Tears were blurring his eyes as he stabbed another kunai on to another toad that almost bit the kid in an ambush.

Shit, they were surrounded. They ended up deeper in the forest.

The kid was, in all fairness, still calm and collected, as though he was safe with Obito. _If only I was as good as Kakashi— what am I saying?! I'm good too!_ He was confused as to why the kid started going through a sequence of handsigns he had yet to see. Then he felt it.

The heat was the first thing he felt. Then he heard the dying croaks and smelt the toasting organs. Then he saw it.

It was a beautiful cloud of gas, fire and acid. It was swirling at the base, toads dropping left, right and center. The acid swirled around and cooked toads and trees it could reach, the gas _melted_ trees and the ones that seemed to inhale inside the cloud, and those that got licked by the fire became food for the vultures. It was a beautiful mix of black and bright yellow, and a blue hue occasionally covering the base for a few seconds. He swore there was some chemical like smell in the air. It was an overkill jutsu for a bunch of poisonous, carnivorous toads.

It was terrifying.

The aftershock of the jutsu came like a tsunami, as the shockwave from the fairly compressed but dangerous fire/chemical jutsu (whatever it was) _boomed_ and spread throughout the forest, bursting his eardrums and knocking his sense of balance off, knocking both trees and the duo lots of feet back. It hit them squarely and Obito wondered when the hell people where going to investigate. He used his body to cover the kid, his back getting _cooked_ in the process. He didn't register the pain yet, as the kid had curled up and he was getting concerned because the chemical smell made him woozy and it was like he was seeing things. No doubt it would affect the kid more.

The pain of his right side never left him, but the moment his mind got to process the pain on his back too, it was like he went into an overload. He thought he was seeing things. He thought he was feeling things. He thought the kid morphed into a girl for a second and he didn't know whether to pass out with his eyes open or pass out with it closed so he could pretend he didn't see a smile on the kid's face.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Ninja and civilians alike looked on to see a huge fire (?) jutsu form a mushroom that incinerated a large portion of the forest. From the Hokage Tower, it looked huge, and it probably was too, considering it was a few kilometers away but still looked daunting. Hiruzen rubbed his eyes the moment his eyes landed on it and sent his ANBU and a few jōnin in the fray to see if there was an enemy confrontation that resulted in that scale of an attack. He was sure it wasn't a fire jutsu, else he'd have seen it be used even once in his lifetime.

He wanted to rush there too, curiosity trying to best him in their game of "Look but don't inspect". He so badly wanted to go there himself, but he was sure his ANBU could protect themselves. He lost the game. He went out of the Tower clad in his battle armour, a few of the ANBU rushing out behind him.

He raced towards the half-incinerated forest and arrived just thirty minutes after. There was already a few jōnin and ANBU setting up perimeters and blocking off any escape routes in case of enemy escaping. Minato was frantic and rushed over to where he was standing, a frown etched into his lips.

"Hokage-sama! I-I've found this! This is Ken's bag!" He said and showed the older one the half-burnt ladybug bag with a few scorched wads of cash and a plastic of ramen and what looked like trinkets. The Hokage straightened up more and went over to investigate the carcasses or cooked toads.

In the far right of where they were standing, there was a huge circle of blackened soil and a bunch of dead toads just littering the ground. There were few that were half-melted, half-burnt but they can investigate the toads later. The strong, heavy smell of chemical was thick in the air and it made the Hokage's head ache. It was hell in the forest.

An ANBU appeared in front of the two and gave the Hokage a kunai with a scorched handle, signifying a heavy duty explosive tag had been attached. He was also carrying standard ninja kunai and one Academy-issued.

"The Academy-issued kunai was found cleanly lodged on a toad's throat, attacker may be an experienced ninja." He reported as he disappeared.

Minato quickly turned to the God of Shinobi, eyes wide and more frantic than before.

"Calm down, Minato. I'm sure we would capture the culprit." He said, more to himself than to the man panicking infront of him.

"Minato-san! One of your students is here! He's unconscious!" A jōnin shouted deep inside the forest, kneeling infront of a passed out pair of children.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Minato never moved so fast in his life. He staggered a little bit as he knelt down in front of Obito, his body reeking of cooked flesh. He checked for a pulse and if he weren't kneeling already, he would've lost strength in his knees. Obito was alive, face in utter pain as his back was thoroughly cooked. But he's alive, so that's all that matters.

A medic-nin rushed to where his student lay, immediately working on the burnt flesh. Minato released a deep exhale, shaky hands finding the unscathed child Obito's passed out body refused to let go of. His student's arm was tightly wrapped around the child's waist, the passed out child caged safely by Obito's body.

"Thank god, you're alive." He said and wiped Obito's sweaty and dirty face, an ANBU revealing his presence behind him.

Ah, so this is Kazuhiko. The "Black Masked ANBU" in the Hokage's ranks. He was the only one given a black mask made personally by the Third.

He wondered why the guy even bothered to use his ANBU uniform and mask when everyone knows who he is. Who wouldn't recognise him anyways? The guy was always doing the dirtiest of the dirtiest missions for Konoha. Basically, the high death rate/ suicide missions. Maybe it's his clothes.

He dropped to his knees beside Minato and untangled his brother from the other's student carefully. He hugged the child close to his chest and murmured his thanks to the gods over and over.

He rocked the unconscious child in his arms and turned to Minato, laying his brother comfortable on the ground, before bowing and thanking both Minato and Obito, forehead touching the forest soil.

He shuffled next to the medic nin, before extending out his hands and fixing Obito's back. It made the healing process much faster, and by the end of it, Obito was visibly in much less pain.

"What was Ushijima Ken doing all alone? It is a Village Law that all children below 4 are never to be left alone at any time of day, more so since he is under Village Act #9358, 'All Clan head children must be always be within eyesight of a certified ninja, no lower than chūnin.' It is implemented to prevent any kidnapping accusations against the other clans." Someone said as they both heard a gruff voice clearing their throat.

"Hokage-sama! Is Obito alright?!" Minato heard the loud voice of Kushina, waving his arms wide for her to see where Obito lay. She ran past the Hokage, making everyone part and make a path for her. Immediately, she was kneeling next to Obito, hand pushing his hair away from his face.

"What happened?! Is this kid the one from earlier?!" She asked Minato as she cradled the now healed Obito unto her lap.

"Kushina-san..." The Hokage said softly as he once again cleared his throat.

"Permission to speak, Hokage-sama." The Black Masked ANBU said quietly, hand on his knee as he kneeled at the Hokage's side. The Hokage gave a hum of permission and the ANBU cleared his throat.

"The chakra spread upon the forest is most likely my brother's. Judging from his low chakra, he may have accidentally released an overkill, deformed fireball. The fire may be a desperate attempt to kill the toads chasing after them. The genin may or may not have a participation in the use of an explosive tag." He said in a tone that screamed ' _This is a report but my brother is involved someone calm me down'_. He released a long exhale after he finished his input.

"We will wait for Obito-kun to wake up first before we consider that. Take the children to the Hospital and put them in the Restricted Ward. Kushina and Kuro are to be posted there. Let no one, even a doctor, unless I go with them, inside the ward. Dismissed." ANBU and jōnin alike dispersed and only four people other than the children were left visible in the half-burnt forest.

The Hokage massaged his temples, mind racing almost 100 kph, thinking about what would happen if it really was the Ushijima kid who'd called upon such a deadly jutsu by _accident_. Imagine the destruction the kid could do if he really wanted to bring it upon someone. Imagine the kid if he was _enraged_.

Hiruzen didn't want to imagine it. He could picture Danzō drooling over the child's powers though, the fool thought he didn't know of his obsession with 'Konoha'. Konoha, his ass. The man was power-hungry, that much was obvious. He only listened to him because he'd been of help a couple of times in the past.

He heaved a long sigh and directed Minato to come with him, leaving the ANBU and Kushina to bring the children to the Hospital. His steps were heavy, like he was tired, which he was. He had been pulling all-nighters for almost two weeks now and he'd either be bed-ridden or at the hospital if it were not for soldier pills he'd properly abused. He was almost finished with his preparations for his successor.

He and his companion arrived at their destination, feet coming to a halt. The Village Hidden in the Leaves so vast when you overlook it from the Hokage Mountain.

It may be a bad time to do this, but Hiruzen knew he was growing old and weak.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Everything was black. Again. Ken was beginning to get pissed off. He wriggled his body and found he was still alive. Phew? He wriggled his fingers, trying to feel if he's been put on IV or something. Why did he not have an IV? This hospital is shit.

He facepalmed. 'Of course they don't have an IV on you, you just drained your chakra.' He thought to himself and he let out a snort. He heard someone cough and he automatically played dead.

"Hey, Ken. I know you're awake, so don't bother playing dead." A voice quipped and before he could retort, something was taken off of his face. His eyes blinked for a few seconds, widening in shock. Holy moly, why is Kazu a black outline and what are those green stuff on his body?!

"Azu? What happen?" He rasped as he felt the thirst and the dryness of his throat. He rubbed his parched throat and Kazu was quick to give him water.

"Well, your overkill jutsu happened. Be thankful you're even alive." His brother chastised as he made Ken drink chakra-infused water. Ken deadpanned and went with a small smug smile.

"I can't believe you, Ken. You almost die of chakra exhaustion and you have the guts to be smug?" Kazu looked at him incredulously, like he just blew up a large place and shruged it off. Oh wait...

"Obito-san?" He asked, question unsaid but answered nonetheless.

"He got a nasty burn on his back, but nothing the medics couldn't heal." Kazu said, eyes searching Ken. For what? Ken didn't know.

A few minutes past and Ken enjoyed the silence. His brother seemed to be deep in thought and Ken didn't want to interrupt. He closed his eyes once again, only remembering the next night and forgetting one important thing.

"Say, Ken? I'll be honest with you." He hummed and Kazu cleared his throat.

"The doctors said your brain was okay, and your chakra coils too. There's one thing though. No, actually, not just one." Ken opened his eyes and he stared at Kazu. Mother of patatas, was his cover blown?!

"Kazu?" asked Ken, confused.

Kazuhiko took that as a sign to continue.

"Your brain developed thrice as fast as normal children, and they doubt it's going to stop rapidly developing anytime soon. That would explain the rate you're learning stuff. Even your chakra coils too, some of them even thought your coils were inflamed, because it was just so big and wide for a kid. Maybe that would explain why you're so smart and quick to adapt." Kazuhiko said the last sentence more to himself than his brother.

"Also, they saw another kikai attached to the coil on your stomach, but this time they said it wasn't doing anything, it was just there, so don't worry. What else, ah! Ma sent one of her summons earlier, and she told me Ma was fuming at home. She said, and I quote, 'Ushijima Ken will not leave the compound without the supervision of atleast two chūnin if he wants to play. Tears be damned. Kindly tell him that." Ken facepalmed as he listened to the last part. Now he can't explore on his own.

"I mean I agree with her, Ken. You are worth millions of ryo in ransom." He reasoned and lean back on his chair, the little stool dangerously standing on one leg, but gravity didn't seem to want to pull on his brother.

"So, any questions?"

"Is my head gon' be bigger because my brain is bigger?"

"It's already pretty big though?"

Kazuhiko went home with a big scratch on his arm after that.

彡

Cut! Hey there! The next chapters will slowly drop canon stuff so it'll ease just right into canon plotline, please be patient! Also, thank you to everyone for commenting on here! I really, really, really appreciate it! I don't know why I don't get alerts when you do, but still! Thank you!

じゃね!


	7. chapter 7

**Ｏ The Genius and the Kind** **Ｏ**

 _part one_

Obito woke up with a killer headache. His nose felt like it was stuffed with cotton, his head felt like it was underwater, his eyes weren't focusing as much as he wanted it to. And to think that the Uchiha had a bloodline that involved their eyes. His body felt stiff, like he was trapped in a body that wasn't his. His hands wouldn't move and his neck felt so sore but he can't find the strength to force himsef out of stiffness. His back felt oddly cold, like it had a layer of soothing gel on it. He couldn't feel his right thigh down, but the worst of it wasn't even that.

He tried searching for the familiar warmth underneath his skin but he couldn't feel it. It was like he's a civilian, he knows he has chakra, but he doesn't feel it. It's like it doesn't exist. A sharp pain erupted in his right arm and he felt a shout rip from his mouth. Immediately he was thrashing on something incredibly stiff and he felt a familiar hand hold his left hand. He almost choked as Kushina hugged him close to her warmth. His thrashing went on and the pain seemed like it didn't want to leave him. Tears fell on his face.

Or was that his own? He didn't know.

A whimper escaped his lips when he felt a needle sink on his arm and go so deep he thought it almost grazed his bone when he jerked from fright. He still couldn't see peoperly, only seeing distorted white. The grip on his hand tightened and he squeezed it with as much strength he could muster in his pitiful state.

His head swam with so much things trying to force itself to be the first one for him to remember and another broken whimper left him. He choked on his own tears as his arm felt like it was skinned then dipped in a raging fireball. He felt like every inhale he took was precious oxygen mixed with scorching acid. He felt suffocated, he was in pain and he was panicking so much. Kushina was sobbing audibly now as she held his left arm so he wouldn't struggle. Two hands held a foot each to try and stop his thrashing but it seemed to make Obito more panicked as the pain grew the more people he felt was touching him. Another needle invaded his arm and he felt the pain rise once again. He was openly crying at this point but can you blame him?

He heard someone yell but couldn't make out the words as the pain demanded his full attention. He felt ready to pass out from the pain and it felt like the pain was rising. It was multiplying and it hurt _sofuckingbad—_

"Obito-san!" A shrill voice screamed and he felt a small hand hold onto his right arm. The pain just... vanished. His thrashing stopped almost immediately and a cool airy feeling replaced the fire and he choked back on a sob. It felt like cold aloe on his arm and his tensed body relaxed in seconds. So light and comforting. That hand became two, then become a small body wrapped around his right arm, needle completely forgotten. He felt something wet drop on his arm, and then the airy feeling flooded his veins, like it was trying to revive him. It was.

The familiar warmth of chakra surged through him so suddenly, he actually jerked on his bed from the sudden onslaught of chakra flowing under his skin. A gasp tore itself from his throat and it felt like he was finally breathing. A greedy gulp of air he took and he was pretty sure someone else was also gasping.

His vision hasn't returned yet, but he recognised the voice.

"K-kid?" He rasped and immediately there was a cup of what he could only assume as water prodding at his mouth. He drinked gratefully, taking big gulps of water until he completely drain the water. He opened his mouth again to speak but another flow of water went down his mouth. He choked and tapped the bed making the water flow stop and he took a deep breath.

"Kid! Were you trying to kill me for good?!" He asked, flabbergasted. That kid almost drowned him with chakra-infused water! He was ready to say another line of guilt-tripping when he finally heard the broken sobs. It was like the kid actually _cared_. He never had anyone cry for him before, not even Rin. It broke his heart just hearing it. He was quite thankful he couldn't quite see, else he would've cried with the kid then and there. He felt something sharp sink on his arm— the kid was biting him! _Biting him!_

He yelled out of shock and the biting stopped. He felt the bed dip and suddenly, there was a small body hugging his waist so tight, like he was going to disappear. He felt the tear drops fall on his thin clothes and seep, wetting his stomach. The kid was _wailing._ It was so broken, so scared, so... so relieved. He felt Kushina let go of his left hand and he took the opportunity to hug the child currently drowning himself in tears. He shushed the kid that held on even tighter, and he was met with choked sobs. Was that him? Nah, he was too cool to cry like this. The tears fell from his face like it was mocking him and almost made Obito snort. It did make the kid hugging him. What? He didn't say anything?

"You said it 'loud." Said little cutie, rubbing his face the way little kids do, using half his arm to wipe his eyes and snot away. His face burned and he sputtered to find an excuse. His excuse died on his tongue when the kid melted right on his arms and mumbled the words that literally made Obito's vision clearer. The bluriness disappeared and he clearly saw the genuine emotions behind the child's teary eyes and he couldn't help himself but to squish the kid's cheeks. The kid spoke up agiain.

"You saved me. Thank you, Obito-san!" He smiled, showcasing his baby teeth. Obito smirked and looked at the red-head who was quiet the whole time. "Hear that? I saved this kid!" He boasted and laughed obnoxiously. Kushina took only one look at Obito's eyes and she gasped. She pointed to her own eyes and Obito tilted his head to the side. Was something wrong with his eyes?

A mirror was shoved in front of his face and his mouth was left agape. In place of two onyx orbs were two blood red ones, three tomoe lazily spinning in the middle. He actually got the Sharingan. A mature one. His mouth opened and closed like a fish, red eyes staring back at him. He manifested the Sharingan. What?

"Wa-o~ Cool eyes!" The kid on his lap clapped and proceeded to invade his personal space trying to get a better look at his Sharingan. He was still in pseudo-shock, frozen on his stiff hospital bed. He manifested the Sharingan.

"W-wha? Ah?" He pathetically looked from the mirror to the kid still trying to look at his eyes to Kushina then back to the mirror. Kushina was quick to snap out of it and congratulated him, patting his left hand, before making sure he's atleast half-comfortable on the stiff bed. He didn't know what to do first. Should he shout in joy first, boast about how cool his new eyes are, or just finally be happy because his clan is so gonna have to acknowledge him noe? He didn't know. His excitement made him buzz in happiness and in literal speech. He practically vibrated on his bed and drilled a hole with how much he was happiness he was trying to keep inside of him. A man in white uniform entered the room and checked Obito's vitals. After checkig everything thoroughly, he stood up straight and said—

"Genin Uchiha Obito, please report to Mission Desk two days after you discharge. The Ushijima clan head, Kaya-sama, requested your presence within the day you are cleared to go by the Head Nurse and reported to the Uchiha representative. Drop by the Log Desk in the Shinobi Ward later this afternoon so they can update everything under your file." He cut straight to the point, ruining the happy atmosphere for Ken and Kushina, but showed no signs of noticing as he silently dismissed himself and left the room as quiet as a civilian could. Obito rubbed his head and awakwardly tried to dissipate the tension and spike in KI directed to the door. What the nurse said was normal and not out of spite so he let it slide anyways.

Newbie shinobi (meaning Chūnin for no longer than a year and a half and the ranks below) were required to report to the Log and Mission Desks after getting admitted and/or cleared to leave the Hospital. Chūnin with a year and seven months of service and ranks above were technically still required to the Desks but are given more time to give leeway for unseen circumstances like emergency missions and/or early ( _forced_ ) retirement. Jōnin (all the variation, Tōkubetsu, Team Sensei, Squad, except those under ANBU) were to report to the Hokage himself, whether it be verbal or written report, most commonly both. You can never know who is under the ranks of ANBU and those who are Jōnin due to the fact that both have to go about the public place wearing the standard Konoha flak jackets and uniform that could be flipped and bam, ANBU black ops jacket. It was rumoured every single person to reach the rank of Jōnin has been put in the ANBU, even for just a few weeks, as hazing. It was a pretty scary rumour and that helped put down any arrogant chūnin. Those under ANBU, he didn't know where and who they reported to. It was a huge possibility that they also have a commander, like the Jōnin and Chūnin commanders, and their commander reports for them to the Hokage but surely they are subjected to report to the Hokage about their medical records too if the man himself saw the need for it. Ken would know, Kazu said stuff when he thought the kid was too busy 'playing' to notice Ken was actually listening intently. All in all, getting admitted to the Hospital would give you almost 2 to 3 days of paperwork, which is why shinobi who do get admitted always want out and either try to escape the nurses or don't go to the Hospital at all. Back-alley hospitals aren't a thing yet in the Narutoverse, but Ken didn't want to be credited with the idea of such a dangerous practice, so he shut his mouth.

Obito shook his head as he made a move to get off of the bed, and he would've been successful if the kid on his bed had let go of him. The kid was holding onto Obito's waist with his right arm while his left hand clutched the metal siding for the bed. Obito would have to either force the child to let go of the siding, or not get off the bed. The teen chose the former. He relaxed as the kid pinched his waist when he tried to get off of the bed one last time.

"So kid," He started, said child shifted on the hospital bed to turn and look at him, "—where did you learn a jutsu like that? That was probably a high-A to S rank in the Jutsu Archives. Parents?" The kid didn't nod his head but simply pouted instead.

"No, it was accident." He said, fidgeting with his index fingers. His right brow raised as he stared at the kid intently.

"Handsigns are not an accident. And don't worry kid, Kushina and I won't ever let anything get out of this room." He said, glancing at Kushina who was strangely quiet. He sent the woman a questioning look and she pointed to his eyes again. He looked at the mirror and he just realized he didn't know how to disable the Sharingan. Holy shit.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Ken thought he fucked up. Poor Obito got killed because of him and his dumbass but thank the Sage because the young Uchiha lived. He rushed to the room where the young Uchiha was, and once he saw what the poor boy's condition was, it broke his heart. Obito was thrashing on his bed, two big needles sticking out of his right arm. He ran and held Obito, drowning his hands with his chakra as Megami instructed, and thankfully, he calmed down and looked a lot less in pain. Ken cried for Obito, almost injuring the kid with how tight he gripped his waist.

Ken was so scared he accidentally killed someone's career. He was supposed to save Obito but what happened? He enters his hospital room, immediately met with the sight of Obito thrashing in pain. He cried as he thought he failed in his secret mission of making stuff easier for everyone. He knew he stood no chance of being god-like in this world, no matter who said it. He knew his limits, and he damn well knew he ain't at a level to kill Madara for sure. The man survived his fight with the Shodai, even with outside help. He knew for sure the only strength he has is information, and all of those were to become reality in more than a decade. He knew he couldn't change this world's reality, but he sure as hell make it a little easier, make it a little heartbreaking, and make it a little less kill-for-the-kill-count type of world.

He held onto Obito, not because he knew the kid was skinship-depraved, but because he now knew what his failure will result to. This is just the warning, and the next time he fails, he knew it would be at the cost of another's life. He pretended to be a kid, he pretended to be innocent, but he will not pretend that everything is okay. He had atleast creative control, no matter how far-fetched it is, to help the people; main characters or not. It broke his heart to see one person hurting because of him, he will not let any more suffer because he fucked up.

His train of thought was cut when Obito pointed out his **[Nuclear Release: Broccoli]** was an S rank jutsu. He said it was an accident only because the first name he thought for the shape of the jutsu was a broccoli, he can't possibly tell them that's the name of his jutsu and he never knew that he couldn't rename his techniques again. Fuck shitty in-game rules.

"Handsigns are not an accident. And don't worry kid, Kushina and I won't ever let anything get out of this room." Obito said, before turning his gaze to Kushina, who had been unusually quiet at the time. She then proceeded to wordlessly show him that he had yet to deactivate his Sharingan. He almost panicked. Almost. Ken poked his forehead hard enough to break the steady flow of chakra to his eyes, thus deactivating the Sharingan. Obito sputtered in surprise before Ken shoved the mirror onto his face. He sighed, thanking Ken before turning to Kushina, who was now smiling.

"Why you quiet, Kush'na-san?" I ask, mentally slapping the back of my own head when Kushina became Kush'na. She smiled before answering, "It's my first time seeing Obito with eyes with three tomoe. He grew up so fast." She said, teasing eyes on Obito. He blushed before trying to make a come back but failing immediately. That made Kushina laugh and pat his head, before excusing herself so she could inform Minato about his recovery.

It left us in a quiet and peaceful atmosphere, if you don't count some nurses shouting curses at escaping shinobi outside Obito's room. Ken melted on top of Obito's body, relishing in the fact that the teen was alive. Obito leaned back on his propped up bed and pat Ken's back, kinda like when you pat a baby to sleep. He relaxed and continued this for a few more minutes before he stopped. Obito stared at the wall in front of him, lost in thought.

"Obito-san?" Ken heard a hum in reply, low but smooth.

"Ma was serious." Obito froze on his bed, eyes blurring and tears almost dripping.

"A-ah. I don't know about that, kid." His comfortable pats on Ken's back stopped for a few seconds and then quickly continued when Ken remained quiet. Obito's imagination ran wild, and he also thought about the worst case scenario. At best, he'd get away with only a scolding (he was used to it anyways) and at the worst, they're gonna beat him up for letting the kid get hurt. He prayed to whoever was up there that it'd be the former.

"You don't think I say true stuff." Ken accused, shifting into a indian-sitting position at the older's knees. Obito tensed once more. What's happening is too good to be true. What the Clan Head wanted was too good to be true.

"Is true. Kazu and I agree, you know." Ken whispered, back facing Obito. He said it in a quiet voice but he knew, he just knew, Obito heard him, loud and clear. He'd say Obito heard him not by his ears but by his heart but that'd gonna be cringey and he didn't want anyone to be subjected to that.

"I-I'd like to. I would really like to." The Uchiha finally broke down and let the tears flow, hands gripping the sheets so tight.

"Thank you so much."

(=)人(=)

Kazu smiled behind the door of the room Uchiha Obito occupied. The poor kid had no one to pay for his hospital bills, even if he had monthly deposits in the Uchiha clan clan-wide savings. Ken offered to pay for the kid, but the Ushijima knew gratitude, so they immediately agreed when he and Ken requested they pay for his bills under the general name of the Ushijima clan. But that surely wasn't the reason the Uchiha was crying his heart out in his room. Ken might've dropped the bomb a bit too early.

Kazu smirked as he leaned against the wall, thanking the heavens Kushina heard him tapping against the wall to go out of the room. She smiled so big when she got out and immediately thanked Kazu as soon as the door closed. He replied humbly as he subtly dismissed the excited woman by pointing out that she still had to find the Uchiha's genin sensei.

He pushed himself off of the wall and silently walked towards the exit of the Hospital, dropping a few thousand ryo at the Hospital cafeteria and ordering abundant food for the kids inside the Uchiha's room. He went on his way quietly to the TI division, hands shoved deep inside his pockets. He had someone to talk to.

He wasn't ashamed to admit that he paid almost 3 million ryo just so he could be the one to beat the life out of an Iwa-nin ( _how the fuck did he get through the gates_ ) found almost dead, burnt to the bone in the forest a few meters away from his brother and the young Uchiha, who he was pretty sure was the reason Ken and Obito were being chased by frogs. They were companion types, most acceptably compared to the Inuzuka ninken and Aburame kikai.

Dropping 3 million was an easy decision considering there was a huge possibility of using Ken as ransom or gouging the Uchiha's eyes out would both benefit Iwagakure. Demanding ransom for Ken would give them almost tens of millions of ryo, giving their economy a boost. Getting the Uchiha's eyes were a huge blow to both the Uchiha's and Konoha's reputation, making it difficult for the non-shinobi villages to associate with us.

He finally arrived at the infamous TI building, complete with the barbed walls and nasty looking guards. He simply walked past the guards and nodded in acknowledgment when they both greeted him. Huh, they must know of his business here. Figures.

He reached the underground cells, which were hella unkept, and scanned the poorly lit cells for an Iwa-nin that had third-degree burns.

"Aha. There you are!" He exclaimed, happily dragging the male, hand tightly gripping his throat, to an empty torture cell. He threw the shinobi to the spiked wall, taking extreme delight when one spike came through and pierced the man's right rib cage. How he was still breathing was a pure miracle.

He plucked the man off of the wall and gripped his hair.

"Tell me," he started, dragging the almost lifeless man to a chair before tying him up with barbed rope, "—who was your target? The Uchiha? The kid?" finding the rope secure enough, he sat on a clean chair and leaned back. The man wheezed and Kazuhiko dragged the sole of his shoes on the burnt flesh of the man before him.

"I'm waiting." He said, cheerfully scrubbing the soft flesh off of the bone, exposing the muscles, using his shoe sole.

"—bitch..." Kazu's eyesight bled red and he crushed the man's right hand fingers, making sure that it was broken beyond repair. The man's eyes threatened to roll to the back of his head but Kazu stuck his fingers inside the man's lids.

"I would appreciate it if you don't describe yourself and pass out right now, but for the wrong answer, I'll make sure your left hand is thoroughly grinded." He smiled sadistically as he started to use the man's hitai-ate, coating it with chakra, to break and chop up the man's hand.

"—ther die..." Kazuhiko hummed as he continued to happily crush the man's hand. Wow, stress relief at it's finest. The guy was barely alive and the only reason he was still living was because of his chakra. Hmm.

"Time to switch torture techniques! Which do you prefer? Senbon or wire?" He inquired, making sure the man's skin on his hand wouldn't break but the bone inside was thoroughly crushed.

"...kid." His eyesight bled red once again and he laughed.

"A saw it is then." He proceeded to sharpen the unannouced option and laugh like a maniac. The man's eyes widened significantly and he started to thrash on his chair, body pricked by the barbed rope. He started to shout for help and cry. Whoa, such a beautiful cry for help. He could almost feel himself start to want to clap.

Kazuhiko ripped the man's throat out of his neck, making sure to not hit any major arteries. He laughed louder as the blood squirted and the man continued to sob. He then slowly started to saw off the hands, sawing the wrists painfully slow and deep. The man's eyes closed shut and he halfway drowned on his own blood. He leaned back and looked the man up and down and worked on his torso, making a Konoha-shaped cut on his stomach and pushing his fingers through to grab the organs and pull it out of the cuts. After the torso, he checked the crotch, shrugging to himself and sawing off the acorn. The knees down were already played with earlier and he stopped as he noticed the man is a few minutes away from really dying. He'll just leave him kind of alive so when the people cleaning the chamber comes and disposes of him the body chute, the last things he's gonna see are dead bodies.

Kazuhiko smiled at his magnificent job well done. He clapped and pat himself on the back, exiting the chamber for someone to clean it for him.

Now, to get permission to do missions at Iwagakure.

彡

Hi. Part two will have the war and other stuff in it~! I kinda enjoyed this because OBITO. My baby. Anyways, this one is kinda long but I doubt anyone is complaining. See ya next week!

じゃね!


	8. chapter 8

**O The Genius and the Kind O**

 _part two_

Obito was released the next day, just a few minutes after lunch. I had been there, (and Kazu too) to help him fill out on his file and i don't know, just be there as physical support? It was very anticlimactic. He got a light duty clearance, and he wasn't allowed any mission higher than C-rank. Wondering why he's still allowed to do C's? Apparently 'light duty' means 'no missions that require going over two borders'. I know, _ninjas_ , amirite? After that we went to head straight to the compound, since Ma wanted to talk to Obito. He was pretty fidgety and so nervous and I could tell Kazu was starting to get annoyed.

"A-are you sure I don't have to dress formally? I mean, I don't have really expensive clothes but I could buy one— _I'd have to dip into my savin—_ " Kazu put his left hand on Obito's right shoulder, (I was hogging his right arm's attention) and pat it firmly twice. "When I say 'You don't have to', I mean 'You don't have to.'" He explained, not one bit bothered when I started to try and scale his arm. Obito shut up ( _finally_ ) after that and quietly walked beside Kazu, palms rubbing against the side of his body. I eyed Obito long and hard enough for him to notice and when his eyes snapped to my direction, I held eye contact and quietly gave him a serious thumbs up from where I was dangling on Kazu's arm. He snorted and gave me a thumbs up in return, temporarily relaxing.

It took us a few minutes of walking from the Hospital to the more ninja part of the village, (the Hospital was a few blocks deep in the civilian districts) and Kazu carried me piggy back style, pulling on Obito's sleeve, before he set into a nice running pace. It was a nice, very-Konoha-ish day; sunny-but-not-like-Suna sunny, cloudy-enough-for-Shikamaru-to-laze-around cloudy, and very bright and happy. I pull on his shirt and tell him to slow down. Ninja (retired, those just wandering around, those with missions and those just playing as one) littered the district, a few distinct people with clan insignia on their clothes. Kazu slowed down until he was just walking, Obito right behind us. I spot one Uchiha, female and in gear, talking to a weapon store clerk, features eerily similar to Tenten; what with the brown eyes and buns and all. I spotted an Inuzuka petting a small kitten in the arms of a kid, and I saw ( _was that Asuma? and is that Biwako?!_ ) a group with a few Ushijima's conversing when one of our messengers for Ushijima clan business stuff started waving at us. I waved back and he grinned, before excusing himself (so it _was_ them) and walking towards us. His eyes flashed in recognition before a happy eye smile appeared.

"Ken-sama! And Obito-san!" He said, petting my head and turning to Obito, shaking his hand. Kazu cleared his throat and tried to get the guy's attention, failing to do so when his attention was focused solely on Obito.

"Thank you for protecting Ken-sama! You deserve being recognised by Kaya-sama!" He gushed, sliding into step beside Obito. Kazu shook his head and kept quiet, giving up on trying to get attention. I snicker and pet his nose, almost getting bit by doing so.

"Uh, you're welcome?" Obito half-said, half-questioned as he looked at me for help. _Nah, go get the attention._ I smiled at him and made a shoo-ing motion with my hand. The guy took that as a sign for him to continue conversing with Obito and they just talked while I continued to sightsee from Kazu's back, which was very nice because I was almost a head taller than everyone from here. There was a breeze here and there, and it helped cool me down a little bit. Back in my old life, it always rained from where I'm from. I was still adjusting to a very sunny place.

I scanned the shops lined in the streets and those inside buildings. There were weapon shops (duh) and blacksmiths sharpening and making stuff. There were nicely decorated shops that screamed 'well-taken care of' and there were a few kids around Obito's age clearing stuff and cleaning the front. Genin.

I caught the eye of another person, belatedly realizing who it was. Eyes met eyes and I assessed the man I was looking at. He was fair-skinned, not as pale as Sai, nope. He had spirals on his cheek and he was big- _boned—_ I steeled through and maintained eye contact, although it was very hard not to scream and fanboy, because there, in all his awesomeness and glory, _holy fuck_ , is _Akimichi_ _fucking **Chouza**_!

Apparently my jaw dropped when I realized I was looking at him, in the flesh, and only understood he had been pointing and tapping his own mouth in an attempt to make me close mine. I snapped it close and turned my face away, cheeks burning. I heard Kazu snicker beneath me as I turned back around to peek if they stopped looking in our direction. They haven't. And they were signing something to Kazu. Fuck. Why are they walkin towards us? No, no no no.

"Hello, Kazuhiko-san." I wanted to cry and pretend I was a real kid and I had not been caught jaws dropped, straight out staring at Chouza. I wanted the earth to open itself and swallow me whole and never spit me out to ever feel the rays of sunlight again. Kill me now, fuck. Damn the plotline, they survived without me anyways.

"Hello, Ino-Shika-Cho-san." Kazu said and pat my knee to make me greet them too.I peek from behind Kazu's head where I hid my face. Inoichi winked. I wanted to die. I ducked and buried my face into Kazu's nape and stayed there, unmoving.

"Aw, look Chouza! He's shy!" Way to go, asshole! I hope Ino's favourite parent is your wife!

Shikaku mumbled something a bit like 'troublesome' and Chouza laughed, Kazu politely apologising for how I was acting. No no no, let's go, don't talk to them! I turned to where Obito was supposed to be, only to find him being half-dragged, half-choked to go inside a clothing shop with the guy from earlier. Shit. I have no escape route now. Resigned to my fate, I waved my hand timidly at them, barely doing one wave and more like offering a high five before wanting to die again. Chouza high fived me. He literally just made his palm connect with mine and it made a sound and we high fived. I was trying to— I was _waving_ at them. At this point my lower limbs that were wrapped around Kazu's waist were desperately squeezing with all the strength my toddler-body could muster in an attempt to _just go and escape the embarrassment. Shit, I'm never going to wash this sacred hand_. A _god_ has touched me, fuck Pein and Kaguya. The real one's right here.

Chouza laughed heartily, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Shikaku's mouth lift up in one corner. It was enough for me to go back to hiding. "You like Chouza, kid?" My eyes snapped to look at Shikaku (he's still smooth and unscarred in the face, whoa) who was walking ( _more like dragging himself_ ) with us, Inoichi beside him and Chouza at our left side. They were kind of flanking Kazu.

"He's my Hokage." I say and all of their eyes sharpened. I held my ground and stared at Shikaku. "You know, that's basically insolence against the highest ranking official in this village. But since you're cute, we'll let it slide." He grumbled and they settled into a quiet stroll. Like you can't hear their footsteps, can't hear the soles of their shoes crush the soil beneath them. I 'hmmped' and Kazu snickered. "You're just like your mother." Inoichi chided, making Kazu laugh quietly. What's so funny about being like Ma?

"You seriously don't know your mother's past?" I must have been looking very confused when Inoichi began to tell me about my mother's teenage escapades.

"There's this one time she hit Danzō-san right in the gut when he demanded Kazu be graduated early. Kaya-san was banned temporarily from the Academy." Chouza butted in while Inoichi was right in the middle of his own story. But really? Danzō?

And why do they sound like they know each other so well?

"We were classmates in the Academy. They're practically your uncles." Kazu explained and tried let me down to walk. Key word, tried.

"Tell me more please?" Apparently Inoichi liked fucking with my brain because everytime he told me a believable story he'd then say it was a joke while there's this evil glint in his eyes and tell really unbelievable stories and then say it was true.

"Did your parents play with you like this?" I grumbled, making both Kazu and Chouza laugh. What's so funny?

"To be honest? Yeah, and it's fun!"

Oh, right. They're the mind-fucking family. I should've have known. They settled down in a quiet but comfortable silence. For me, anyways. Secretly, I was trying to see what their bodies do, those of which were first nature and those of which are second. It was hard because I was basically looking into a blurry telescope (I can see things up close but what I was looking at was blurry) and everything I want to look at close up were either just a relaxed body state or was intentional. Inoichi leaned and relied heavily in his hands it seemed, because his hands were never relaxed the whole time, ready to curl and throw a punch or deflect and defend himself. Shikaku leaned more on the right side of his body while slouching, though I guess that's because he's just dragging himself just to walk. Chouza's left foot's length of stride was shorter than his right, and that might mean thousands of things. I suspected all of these disappeared once they were in battle. I hope.

 **Kid. It's time.**

I jerked and almost fell off of Kazu's back when Megami suddenly whispered.

'For what, exactly?'

 **Connections. If you want to live longer, make connections. I know useful people when I see them.**

'O-kay?' I reluctantly replied as she quietly dissolved into the back of my mind. Alright then. Time to make a ripple in this goddamned fictional world.

Now, how to make use of my **[Silver Tongue, lvl. 9]**?

(=)人(=)

Kazuhiko's POV

My former classmates signed to me and approached us, obviously distressed and tensed.

 _Breached border. Guards; dead. Last location. Aburame-Ushijima district. 9 chūnin; dead. 4 chūnin; critical. 2 genin; alive. High danger. Pass message._

 _Affirmative. Jōnin on site?_

 _On the way. Spread only to jōnin._

 _Orders?_

 _Stand by. Watch. Need alive._

Shit.

They flanked me and signed to every able bodied in the jōnin handsign. Inside my head, all I could think of was _fuckfuckfuck. The clan's smack in the middle of the fighting._ Gently, I try to put Ken down so I can free up my hands in case of a confrontation. An alarm hawk soared high above the buildings and circled three times.

 **All jōnin to respond**.

Fuck. I can't leave Ken alone. Right now, even chūnins are a dangerous bet. I said my goodbyes to the three of them and sprinted off into the clan compound. The guard gates were bloodied and I couldn't help but curse out loud. There were a lot of residual chakra in the air and it reeked of burnt flesh, a few splotches and puddles of blood almost completely dry on the ground. Obito was the least of my concerns now. The Uchiha should protect their own. I'm moving to protect mine. Inside the main house where we resided, the hidden rooms were on lockdown, and only jōnin were outside. I pull Ken off of my back and open the room under the hidden room under the rag in the middle of the living room. Inside were mothers and their children, genin and a few elderly. The men gave way as I opened the secret door. Carefully, I slip Ken and one of the genin held him, eyes shaking and visibly tensed. I eyed his form and figured he was one of the genins who survived. He was bloodied and his body looked awful. I gave him a reassuring (or what I had hope was) pat on the back and placed an alarm on the ground, so I'd know if there were any intruders. I close the door and make sure it was sufficiently hidden. I stood up and scanned the people inside the fake hidden room. The men were all scared but stood up for themselves at the very least, what with holding their own weapons and a few chūnins mixing in. I also put an alarm on the floor and close the door, locking it with an alarm ninjutsu, so they would know that someone is trying to open the room and it is not me.

I nod to the jōnins, Miyaka Ushijima and her two older siblings, Miyeru and Miyara Ushijima. All freshly promoted jōnin. Two other joined the little group and introduced thenselves as help from the Abūrame, seeing that they were concerned about the lack of people to help protect the compound. I nod and pat their backs, secretly putting a self-destruct seal if they ever try to attack an Ushijima.

A messenger hawk squawked and landed on my arm, and I quickly unravel the letter on it's talons.

 **Take down all enemy. Body needed intact.**

 **Mission level/type: Extreme Danger/ Solo**

 **Signed by: Sarutobi Hiruzen**

 _p.s try to keep the collateral destruction under ten million ryo._

I snicker and stretch and warm my body up. ANBU protocol still must be followed and I have to dress the part. Ugh.

I sigh and pull the black mask sealed into my temple on and make sure it sticks to my face like glue.

Time to work.

彡

Part three is on the waaaaay~ Senior high is a pain in the ass. Why do I even need to know calculus anyways?! Anyways, sorry for being so late in updating, and this chapter is really short. I'm working on the next part okay? Please continue to read this!


	9. chapter 9

For anyone who's _still_ confused with the timeline:

Ken is currently 2 years old, and he is younger than Kakashi (obviously) by 5 years. Obito is currently 10. 

Ken's estimation of where he is in the timeline is soooo _off_ because one) at the time he can't see the Hokage Mountain and two) he's a baby, babies can't stay awake for long, he couldn't process it fast enough.

If you have any questions or if you just want to clarify something, just send me a pm and I'll do my best to answer them. Anyways, on with the story~

 **O The Genius and the Kind O**

 _part three : end_

 _Kaya Ushijima's POV_

A messenger pigeon landed right in front of the open room I chose, the one in front of the garden and hopped onto the open window, black paper rolled and haphazardly tied to it's limb. It had a large wound (a dead giveaway that someone tried to kill it on it's way here) on it's back, and I figured it will not live for anymore than three minutes. I cradle it to my chest and push a little bit of chakra into my fingers, going over the poor bird's back in an attempt to numb the pain so he could die peacefully. It relaxed in my hands, snuggling closer as if asking for warmth. I know the feeling, the overwhelming coldness when your death is near. The sudden numbness of your mind and it forces you into a state of pseudo-calmness, as if telling you to be quiet. It finally fell asleep, and I keep it close as I open the rolled message.

 **Middle of crossfire. Don't worry. Be back by dinner. Damage might be higher than 10 mil. Sorry ma.**

I sigh and put the letter down, smiling in front of death is my son, acting like they are best friends. Such confidence. I snicker. So they finally made a move, huh? I thought they'd be much more subtle. Inside the Ushijima Compound is where the weakest Ushijima becomes jōnin-level and outside the Ushijima compound is where the strong becomes even more stronger. We might be known for being a close associate of the Daimyō, but our prowess in battle is comparable to any ninja clan in Konoha. I stand up, grab a stone shaped into a bird and head to the garden, where I shall bury the sweet little bird. It's heartbeat long since stopped, breathing in a standstill. There was no reviving him now.

A figure was sitting on the bench in the safe side of my garden, a familiar quiet but dangerous aura surrounding them. What a surprise! Not. Even I have the confidence to fight, because inside these clan walls, we are strong. Carefully, I move the earth off the side where all my poisonous plants grow. Gently, I lower the bird down, the earth closing slowly as if it was mourning. Maybe he is, maybe I am. The bird marker fit perfectly ontop of the makeshift grave, and I turn back around to face the person still sitting on my garden bench. If he were any other person, I would have thrown him off of my land and banned him from ever coming again. But I can't. Not when I have something to talk about with him.

"I see you're still well, Aburame Sato-san."

He bowed his head and stepped forward, the smell of death slowly spreading like a black cast on my garden, like a wall of kikai surrounding all the escape routes. His movements were sluggish, like his muscles atrophied and his bones were on the process of developing still. He stretched out his arms in an invitation for a hug, and I quietly comply. He reeked of burnt and decaying flesh, a maroon substance still dripping from his body, staining my clothes. He gargled before words came out of his mouth, and it surprised me that he could still talk, what with his face being halfway burnt to the bone and the mouth down to his jaw were all bone left.

"My child?" He asked, voice quiet and scratchy, like he hadn't spoken in forever. I tightened the hug and he went still. "My child?" He repeats, albeit a little louder.

"Alive and well. Ken is two years old now." I say and he sagged into my arms. Drops of wetness soaked my shoulder, and I sigh weakly into his chest. What did I do to deserve such a father for my child?

"My child?" He repeats and let go, voice excited and a visible change in his gloomy atmosphere earlier and using his hands to smoothen my ruffled hair, and gripping my shoulders. "Ken is in hiding right now. Konoha is under attack and someone got through the gates." He frowned, or well, atleast how I think someone in his situation would frown, and he let go of me. "My child?" He inquired, going past me and walking to the main house. I followed, heart racing. On his back were different wounds that spelled derogatory words, and it broke my heart to see him so desperate for his son. It would help the aching in my heart if I showed a picture of Ken to him.

"Come, I will atleast show you a picture album of his." I beckoned him and gestured towards the room I was in earlier. I pull a pretty new album full of Ken's pictures.

Shakily, he reached out and took it, as if he was so excited he couldn't stop himself from trembling. He sat on the ground and opened it carefully, immediately met with the picture of Ken in my arms holding Kazuhiko 's finger. He looked like he was about to cry and breathelessly muttered, "My child." I nod politely, keeping my distance. He ran a finger on the picture, eyes longing with want to see his son in the flesh.

He flipped the page over to the page where Ken first walked, and laughed. "My child!" He exclaimed in glee, after turning the page over to where Ken happily posed for the camera holding his toys. Most of the pictures, Ken had pasted a piece of paper under, and what he felt when the picture was taken. We spent almost half an hour with him just looking at that photo album while I quietly watch him. My heart was in pain. It was being broken, pieces crushed as the father of my son cried when he reached the end of the album, where Ken took a photo of himself, eyes bright but glossy and a sad smile on his mouth was displayed. The picture was taken on the village's Father's Day. Underneath the picture was a piece of paper Ken had written himself,

"I don't have a papa right now because he went to fight bad guys. I wish papa hurry up so we can play together."

My heart broke even more as he clutched the album to his chest, the both of us knowing that he may not have the chance to see Ken in his current state. Even if Ken was a naturally smart child, he's still a toddler. Even I, a clan head, am scared right now. "My child..." He sobbed, voice scratchy and cracked. He turned to me sharply, eyes red and sharingan spinning.

Wait, sharingan?

My legs remained frozen on the floor.


	10. chapter 10

_Yo! We finally reached a milestone! We now have 100 follows~ I'm so happy! Thank you so much! I'll do my best for the rest of the story!_

 _Also, if you're reading this note, comment what you think about the story so far! Constructive criticism is always welcome!_

 _On to the story~_

 **His Child**

 _Ken's POV_

I was pushed onto a kid no older than Obito when we reached the compound. There were other people inside the hidden room and the one who was currently holding me was all bloodied and injured. His knees buckled and we slowly, very slowly, slid to the floor, like melting ice cream. I wriggled out of his arms and looked around me. There were kids no older than the genin earlier and a few moms and elders. There were a few opened packs of water and a few food pills that were crushed and remnants of those were haphazardly shoved to the far side of the room. Everyone of them were either shaking like a leaf or as pale as paper, it was slightly concerning. One woman's eyes snapped to meet mine and she offered a shaky smile as she clutched a baby tighter to her round form. She looked like she was on the verge of tears, only settling for hiccups as the baby resting on her bosom was peacefully sleeping.

Loud explosions sounded off and rattled the small room we occupied and some of the kids burst into tears and then triggered a crying contest, where one kid tried to compete on who cries the loudest. The lady shushed the baby on her and slowly, the other mothers carefully and tenderly wrapped themselves around the kids and rocked them in their arms so they stopped crying. The outside once again rattled the room as yet another loud round of explosions were heard. Above us, there seemed to be people pacing around, if the footsteps were of any indication. My hands were itching to go out and find my family, panic slowly setting in. With all the okder ones fixated on their kids, there was no one to hold me. Even if you tell me that I'm already almost 18 years old, what would it do in the face of ugly, ugly death? Surely, the only reason we'd be shoved inside this room is because there is an invasion or there is civil war.

Megami was quiet, too quiet for my liking, as I tried to make a stable connection to her.It was like a thin film of water between us and I can't seem to get a hold of her. Tears slowly began to sting ny eyes, hands and knees shaking as the room shook and emergency rations spilled onto the ground, the screams and cries of the other children making it all the more scarier. A loud explosion sent me on my knees as the room shook from the shockwaves, scratching my frail body, and I plead to the deities up there to make it _stopstopstopstopstop—_

And the world stopped. Everything paused in it's place, a blue dot blinking at my peripheral vision, and I immediately focus on it.

 **You have unlocked (4) new [PERKS]! Open now?**

 **YES/NO**

Hurriedly, I tapped yes and the box changed format, showcasing my newly unlocked perks.

 **[PERK UNLOCKED!]**

 **STABLE MIND**

 **-You have unlocked [STABLE MIND]! This perk allows you to never panic in the face of Death and let you make wise decisions and choices for the duration of the game!**

 **[PERK UNLOCKED!]**

 **IN-GAME BODY**

 **-You have unlocked [IN-GAME BODY]! This perk allows you to regenerate 100% HP and nullifies debuffs once the game refreshes for a new day. Regeneration of HP is as follows:**

 **100% - 12 hours**

 **75% - 10 hours**

 **50% - 8 hours**

 **25% - 6 hours**

 **12% - 3 hours**

 **Regeneration includes the following:**

 ***Decapitated limbs**

 ***Poison debuffs**

 ***Internal damage**

 **[PERK UNLOCKED!]**

 **UNFEELING BODY**

 **-You have unlocked [UNFEELING BODY]! This perk allows you to completely cut off the feeling of pain when in battle.**

 **-Additional 10% ally pain-debuff when in 30 meter range.**

 **-Additional 30% ally jinchuuriki pain-debuff when in 60 meter range.**

 **[PERK UNLOCKED!]**

 **LONG LIVE**

 **-You have unlocked [LONG LIVE]! This perk allows you to live for 3 more hours after extreme damage to vital points.**

 **-If used with [IN-GAME BODY, this perk allows the player to recover after extreme damage. (i.e decapitation of head, body sliced to half, ripped internal organs etc.)**

 **USE [PERK](s) NOW?**

 **YES/NO**

With a whimper, I press yes, and all the panic I ever felt disappeared, as **[STABLE MIND]** immediately took effect. Tears were no longer spilling out of my eyes and my scratches were already healing. One of the older ladies held me in their arms, protecting my body from the falling rations. A black bug crawled from my arm towards the locked door and surprisingly, chanced to open the lock and in fell two teenage males, a man who looked like he was in the process of decay stood tall, eyes sharp as it swept over us in the lower part of the hidden room. His eyes landed on me, and at the same time, I heard Megami scream from inside my head,

 **Don't look into his eyes!**

Which made me do the opposite and made me stare at his eyes longer. I mean, where else am I supposed to stare at when almost 75% of him reeks of flesh and decaying corpse. The intense acidic tang of iron and the sudden tenseness inside the room suffocated me, which resulted to Megami to try and take control. My body jolted from left to right, as she tried to take my eyes off of the sudden staring competition I have with the man. It was weird to feel your body moving when you know full well that you are not in control of your body. It was a one in a million experience. She ripped my eyes away from the man but before she could do anything, someone already had their hands on my neck. Megami growled and the familiar warmth she exuded became vile, black heat, scorching the hand that was wrapped around my neck. I heard the loud scream of someone near me ringing in my ears as blood dripped on the floor, staining the previously pristine white ground. The sound felt so close, I closed my eyes and tried to block the sound by covering my ears.

The man was the one screaming.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

 _Obito's POV_

Loud booms and shockwaves knocked me off of my feet, my Sharingan spinning widly as I try to evacuate an old lady to the nearest safe zone. Granny, who was also knocked back, thankfully landed on her feet. Immediately I stand up, knees wobbling as killing intent spread like a black cast in the air. High in the sky, were a swarm of black bugs making a dome above the village and blocking off sunlight. A shrill shriek reached my ears as Granny was grabbed by the arm by a guy with a black mask. I reach into my my pouch to get my kunai but immediately retracted my hand when I saw the man's hitai-ate. The Black Masked ANBU is real?

"Obito! Safe zone is ten minutes away, think you can carry her and get there in 7?" He said, gently pushing Granny to my direction and deflecting a barrage of senbon thrown at him with a piece of stick that was lying around earlier. I didn't even sense the attack and I have my sharingan on! I nod and try to pick Granny up, preparing to flee. She put a hand on my shoulder and nodded, leaving me confused. She pulled her coat to the side and a hitai-ate reflected my own eyes. My eyes widened and she smiled, patting my arm and continued _walking_ to the safe zone. Ushijima-san has already split paths with me to cover more space to help those that are still not in the Safe Zone.

Another loud and large boom resounded across the village and for the second fime, I was knocked off of my feet, still not balanced enough to not be blown away by the shockwave and my googles skidding to a half a few meters away from me. I curse and turn to stand up again, but stopped moving when the dome the black bugs in the sky were doing, suddenly lit up and fried bugs came raining down.

Fugaku Uchiha-sama stood tall and proud a few meters away, smoke from his jutsu almost like thick cigarette smoke on his mouth. Together with his wife, they continued to burn the dome the bugs kept on trying to create. Mikoto-sama's eyes landed on me and she smiled briefly before going back and kept the bugs from getting anymore closer to the Safe Zone. The old woman earlier seem to protect herself just fine but kids may be in danger. Kids... Huh. I feel like I'm forgetting something. Or it is someone? Hm.

Oh no, Ken!

My feet moved on their own and I ran towards the Ushijima compound. My knees kept on losing strength the more the ground shook, making me fall but the thought of the kid in danger made me push through the fear and run with all my might. I dodge people running to the opposite direction, where I'm running from, and tried my best in evading the onslaught of scared civilians in order to get to the compound faster. The screams of kids and women and men alike were ringing in my ears and made my head hurt. There was the disgusting smell of blood and flesh lingering in the air, and the thick chakra in it made my head spin even more.

By the time I got to the Ushijima clan compound my palms and knees were bloodied from all the stumbling and shakin of the Earth. I pushed the pain aside and ran full speed ahead inside the private compound in search of one Ushijima Ken. I passed through tons of houses, thinking Ken would be hiding there. Every single one of them were empty but seemed to be ransacked as many cabinets and doors were haphazardly opened and left as that when the culprit found nothing and no one. I ran around some more, panic setting in as I realize that because of my floundering Ken may have been hurt by now. Of course, he'd be in the main house! You're a freaking idiot, Obito! I ran towards the central part of their compound, trying to spot either the biggest or the richest looking house.

A few minutes after going through several houses that looked big and rich enough to be the main house, (the Ushijima's really are rich) I finally reach what I for sure can say is the main house. The walls were singed, like there was a battle, and the garden. Oh good lord, the garden. What greeted me scarred me for life. There were mangled bodies scattered on the huge communal garden at the middle, one was even tainting the pond red as half their mangled body dipped into the pond. A shiver went down my spine as screams erupted from inside one part of the house. My feet once again moved on their own as the ground shook like never before.

Several more bodies greeted me as the floor of the living room collapsed (?) and inside were men and some elderly people. The smell of decaying and burnt flesh lingered the air and assaulted my nose, making bile want to come out. I swallow it down and quietly go down the floor, a whimper reaching my ears. There, the source of the disgusting smell stood, clutching it's (his) hand, back towards me. It was screaming in pain and my hand moved through handsigns as fast as I could, chakra pooling inside my stomach.

 _Inhale, gather the warmth inside your stomach, make way for it in your chest, make it as hot as you can, and blow it all out!_

A magnificent ball of fire came crashing down the creature, my kunai already drawn in case of confrontation. Ken came running to me, and relief flooded me. The screaming still hasn't stopped. My eyes came into contact with familiar red eyes, three tomoe spinning wildly as if in overdrive. It flinched and in a blink of an eye it disappeared, and something sharp entered my stomach. I shout and jolt in both surprise and pain, hand immediately pushing on my stab wound. Ken was, amazingly, not crying, as he stood at my side dumbfounded, mouth hung in shock.

A buzzing sound brought me back to reality as the trauma came back. _If it makes a buzzing sound then it's evil_. The creature was still screeching as my mouth lost all moisture. It had the Sharingan. It has the Sharingan. It has the sharingan, just like me. What? He bolted towards us and my kunai barely went up and moved as it clashed against his own kunai, when he had drawn another is unknown to me. He growled and skidded back as a foot tried to kick him away.

My eyes flicked to the side and Kaya-sama stood protectively infront of Ken and I. He squeaked in surprise as his mother stood in a fighting stance, her kimono that looked like it saw better days full of dark red patches. Her ear was bleeding, and half of it was cut off. Her chakra came over us like a blanket of love and comfort, the distressing chakra coming from the unknown creature overwhelmed by the Ushijima matriarch's.

It gave a loud cry as it dashed to where Kaya-sama stood, kunai held tightly. It's hands went flailing as she pushed her open palm on the creature's ribs, so hard that it cracked under the immense power behind what looked to me like a simple one handed shove. She followed it up with a roundhouse kick, not giving it a chance to retaliate. It's arms went up into a defensive X infront of where her shin was supposed to hit and pushed her backwards, sending our saviour skidding a few steps back. It let out a sound so similar yet so far from a cackle, and bugs came rushing towards Kaya-sama. Her hands immediately went to work, pale eyes in active Byakugan mode that made the veins around her eyes bulge.

Her handsigns were to fast for me to follow, as she slammed a chakra reinforced fist onto the creature's elbow, immediately going for a finishing blow with a fist coated in lightning. The lightning coated fist hit the creature square in the chest, her arm digging in deep where if it were a person, it would've killed them. Her fingers up to her elbows had lightning scorch marks, making her left hand shake. It twitched on the ground, blood pooling around it's miserable body.

Kaya-sama's knees gave out and she almost fell face-first if not for my body once again moving on it's own. She sent me a tired, grateful smile and urged Ken to come closer to her. He quietly complied, eyes tearing up as he absorbed what just happened. A gurgle came and Kaya-sama's eyes snapped to where it came from. The creature twitched and immediately, Ken and I were behind Kaya-sama again. It groaned and shifted onto it's side, eyes like Ken's stared right into our souls. It held up a weak, gangly arm and shakily held it up in the air, as if expecting something.

"My child..." It groaned, voice so quiet it was barely audible. Ken gasped and immediately the puzzle pieces came into their proper place. That's Ken's father, or what looks like his father's almost dead body. Who would do such a thing to someone who's supposed to be dead? My heart broke as Ken began crying, slowly inching towards the man with his small, shaking hand, outstretched as he slowly tried to reach for his father's hand. It was almost as if time itself was slowing down for them, their fingertips touched, and the creature, or Ken's dad rather, burst into silent weeping. Kaya-sama made a move to pull Ken over to her side once again but ultimately decided not to interfere.

Ken inched forward a little more, kneeling before the man he never got to grow up to. "My child." He repeated, holding Ken's small hand in his own shaky one tightly, tears flowing down his deformed face. Ken pulled his father's hand and used it to pat himself on the head, all the while staring at his father with a genuinely happy face. Coincidentally, it was still Father's Month in Konoha.

"Hi Papa. I'm Ken. I've been a good boy. I'm sorry for your hand. Ma says I'm smart—" a wheeze interrupted Ken as his father choked on his blood. His hand tightened around Ken's hand and urged him to continue, thumb stroking his son's shaking fingers. "—I have Kazu too. I met Obito-nii-san and I have two friends now. I eat my veggies, and I like turnips. I know how to go pee and go potty by myself. I—" his hiccups were now loud as his father fought to keep his eyes opened, listening intently to his son ramble on. "—I love you papa." The hand that dwarfed Ken's shook and let go, cupping Ken's face tenderly.

"My child..." Life began to leave his eyes as he held Ken's hand with all the strength he has left. He kept eye contact with his son as he did his damn best to not choke on his own blood and tears. Slowly, his hand eased it's tight grip on Ken's hand, falling limply onto the ground.

And the world stopped to mourn as a son lost his father.

"Papa loves you too."


	11. chapter 11

**Botched**

 _Saki Aburame's POV_

Everything went wrong. Everything should've been mine and mine alone to shoulder. He told me the he'd resurrect Sato using Nidaime's technique. All I received is a fucking zombie that keeps on repeating the same phrases. Fuck. Fuck it all. That snake fucking used me and my brother as experiment. Even the kikaichū of my brother returned but I don't think they're actually following Sato, that snake better turn tail when I see him, Sannin or not. Who the fuck tries to implant some Uchiha's eyes into an Aburame, anyways? Is he lusting over the Uchiha's eyes like that old geezer too? Pathetic. Maybe they're working together? Trying Village Invasion or some shit.

I whirl around to deflect a barrage of snakes raining down on me. A smooth, silky voice spoke like a river gently flowing, but fuck that. "Did you like my efforts to bring your brother back from the dead?" He asked, clearly amused with my current dilemma.

"He's a fucking mess, you dipshit! I clearly let you touch his corpse so you could revive him with the Nidaime's Edo Tensei! That experiment of yours is trash! I agreed you put some modifications in his eyes in exchange for him to come back to me like a normal person, not a fucking zombie!" A sudden realisation dawned over me and I stared at him accusingly.

"You're the one controlling the kikai! Are you out of your mind?!" A snake shot out to bite me but a wall of my kikai came up and blocked, swatting it away.

"You're trying to pin both the Uchiha and Aburame down by using my brother with a boot-leg Sharingan on his eyes, aren't you?!" He looked positively amused, yet his relaxed form still stood tensed.

"Answer me!" His smile dropped and he snapped his serpentine eyes to look at me, making gold clash with blue. "Enough. I have finally cracked the first step in the technique. You _will_ give me a few more years to experiment." He stated, (more like demanded) as another wave of snakes cane raining down. His snakes were far more bigger and stronger than my kikai that they completely devoured my wall of protection in just a daw seconds, gulping down in utter happiness.

"Now, be a dear and let me use you as my second experiment."


	12. chapter 12

**Hi guys! Sorry I'm updating this story so late, I got locked out of my account lol. My exams are at the 22nd, and I may be updating a bit more now that I have an excuse to write as a stress reliever . Anyways, as an apology, here's a chapter that's maybe enough to satisfy you guys. :)**

* * *

 **Aftermath**

Kazuhiko exclaimed a loud, appreciative "Thank god!" as he finished off a few of the last snakes wrecking havoc in the village. How they knew how to throw senbons and kunai and other types of projectiles were beyond him as a few Aburames worked to capture the large number of rogue bugs trying to trap the village in, just a few meters away from him. A few Uchihas were using their signature Great Fireball technique to counter the mass of bugs that were in the air. A group of Akimichis, (sprinkled in with a few Naras and Yamanakas) were all also helping out in driving a few of the bigger, more vicious snakes out.

It was also the time that the Third Hokage received reports of the now discovered and shut-down illegal laboratories under Konoha's grounds (that were used by ANBU and also ROOT) all pointing to Orochimaru and that a certain snake Sannin had been seen in the woods just a few hundred miles south of the village, via Inuzuka ninken patrol. Apparently they let him off as he ignored them and the fight here wasn't able to reach them. They claim to have received no hawk messengers. They also said he had someone draped on his back but ignored it too as they trusted the Sannin with whatever he was doing. They didn't recognise who the person Orochimaru had apparently kidnapped.

He resisted an urge to roll his eyes behind his mask as he looked up to the hawk now circling the sky.

"Village secured, huh?" He mumbled as he cracked a knuckle and checked his little watch, tucked into his in-body storage seal. 5:57 pm. Heh, he still got time to shunshin home. He went on his merry way; greeting shinobi for their hard work and civilians alike as he head to his clan's compound at a fast but still leisurely pace. Once he rounded the corner and passed the Aburame compound, his eyes squinted into slits as a panicked Aburame ran into him, eyes clearly shaken, before pointing at the direction of Kazuhiko's home with wobbly knees and a shaky finger. His palms itched as the smell of blood hit his nose hard, making him narrow his eyes into a cold, dangerous glare as he slowed down to a slow run, not quite a jog but not a sprint. Every meter he got closer to the clan compound, the intense smell of flesh and blood became much more noticeable. Sweat began to form on his forehead as his brain conjured so many bad scenarios, and he sped up the speed of his running so fast, his feet barely even hit the ground, chakra making up for the lack of contact instead.

He shunshined to their living room only to slip and almost slide on a puddle of blood, shock freezing his body as his eyes fell on his mother who laid on the couch. His eyes swept her still form and his mind ran a million miles a minute. There were so many questions running through his head, he wobbled from his shock. Why was she so pale and why was she not moving? He panicked more as he realized Ken was not in immediate reach of his shunshin. His heart threatened to pop out of his chest as panic settled in, his chakra frantically sweeping the house.

Ken.

He cursed under his breath as he sniffed out Ken's scent amongst the others that filled the living room. His nose led him to the garden in the middle of the clan head's conjoined houses, and he cringed as he saw Ken holding onto a corpse's hand. Tear tracks lined his face and his baby brother's eyes were swollen but kept staring forward. A few men were digging up what looked like a grave in the side of the stone pathway, and he rushed to move the earth with a few handsigns. His brother's eyes slowly, lifelessly landed on him, fingers still intertwined with the corpse. He choked on his own breath as he knelt down infront of Ken, who was still unresponsive, to hug and comfort him.

In the corner of his peripheral vision, he spotted Obito tending to a few people who looked like they needed assistance. The young man snapped his attention back to his brother as a small, shaking arm wrapped around his neck, nose digging into the crook of the ANBU's neck. His arms automatically wrapped around his brother's shaking form, making sure to discreetly check for any injuries on his precious.

"Oh, Ken..." He squeezed the child as tears wet his neck and uniform, the smell of blood, death and decomposing flesh mixing into the fireball-smelling air. The smell assaulting his nose went down his throat as he struggled not to cough. His palms itched as his gaze wasn't met by anyone when he swept his eyes around for answers.

"He's Papa." The kid simply said, eyes lifelessly boring into the eyeholes for Kazuhiko's ANBU mask. He heard his heart break. He opted to remain silent and hugged Ken harder, making sure to adjust his body so the child wasn't tugging on the corpse. When he realized that the men who were digging earlier were waiting for Ken to let go of his father, he let go, crouching down low enough so only the two of them can hear each other.

"Ken, you have to let go now." He whispered, hands on the narrow shoulders of Ken. The sky was glum as dark clouds seem to cover the sky. Ken nodded, wordlessly letting go of the man's hand before leaning on him completely, trusting his brother to support his weight, and Kazuhiko gladly took the opportunity to flood Ken's senses with his dose of calming chakra. Kazu whisked Ken away and brought him inside the compound, Obito quietly following behind.

"How Ma?" Ken asked, breaking the silence between the three of them as they all sat in a triangle formation inside Ken's room. Kazuhiko didn't know what to say, because he never did check up on their mother. His priority then was Ken. He almost smacked his forehead as he realized what he just did. Thankfully, Obito came to the rescue and explained to Ken (and also Kazu) about her wanting to be left alone because she was 'tired'. Oh, so she was alive. Great!

"What 'bout Chouza-tan?" Ken cocked his head to the side and made Kazuhiko want to punch Chouza for stealing his Ototo's attention. "He's alright, Ken. He can handle himself." The ANBU sulked silently as he leaned against a wooden pillar of Ken's massive bed. It was good to see Ken functioning like his normal self again, and it helped relax the tensed up ANBU. He was still scratching his palms in an effort to sit himself still, eyes softening as he watched the two children comfort each other. Obito was battered and dirty, clothes barely on on some parts and the side of his lip a little burned. He felt gratitude and pride for the little Uchiha, and he remembered to ask permission for him to shadow their team when they get a mission to Kanabi. That's the way he's gonna repay his brother's little guardian angel, and he'll happily protect the people protecting Ken. Ken hugged Obito loosely, arms laying limply on top of the older's shoulders, and tucked his head under Obito's chin.

It made warmth blossom inside his chest, and he swore to all the gods, he'd protect Ken.

* * *

Ken wasn't sure his acting fooled anyone, so he tried to not get disgusted at the corpse he kept holding. No one told him to let go yet and he couldn't break his little heartbroken act- he almost broke character when he felt Kazu wrap his arms around him. He smelled like blood and sweat, but there was something about him that also smelled like _fireplace and hot chocolate,_ of _pure familial concern_ and _big brother hugs_. How the guy smelled like hugs when he literally is still in his bloodied ANBU uniform, he didn't know. He decided to keep his acting up as no one bothered to tell him to let go of the corpse. He cringe as his palms started sweating, and he pressed himself against his brother. His glazed eyes were scanning the menu which was currently up, wondering when the heck his **[Relationship]** with one Obito Uchiha went from **[0%-Stranger]** to **[85.75%- Close Friends]**. How that happened, he may never know.

Also, Megami seemed awfully sulky, like she was just trying to push herself into one little corner in the back of Ken's mind and it made him uncomfortable. Like there's this one side of a hoodie that keeps on making that particular side so sweaty. He introduced the man, which he knew Kazu must have already realized by hearsay or pure brain. He had access to both.

A little bored, Ken tried pulling on Megami forcefully for the first time, in an effort to make her stop her sulking. He tried to reach for that one warm string at the back of his head and pulled with half of all the mental strength he had and out came a little bit of the goddess.

He tried again, this time though with much more mental force, and half of Megami actually came out and his right side went a few degrees warmer in a pleasant way. She pulled herself back into her little corner and blocked Ken out fully. Why was she doing that?

 **Don't pull me, brat. I'll fry your brain.** Megami snarled and Ken felt his jaw drop. His friend just threatened him. What?

He let the goddess keep sulking as he focused on the mission at hand. Correction, self-assigned mission. He wanted to make himself seem really open for kidnapping to Danzo, so he'd do this 'really lost and confused with life child' skit to draw in the war hawk. He didn't know if he'd land a place in ROOT or in a Yamanaka's office, but he'd try anyways.

If he ever do get an offer, meaning, get abducted or something, he had full confidence in Kazu's brother complex and he was all too willing to gamble with that in mind. Kazu has the Hokage's ears, (and maybe a few key people; future clan heads, a few current clan heads, and ANBU operatives) and he was pretty sure the guy had exceptional fighting skills if it ever came to that point.

So, like, Plan: get Danzo to notice him. Wow, he never thought in both his lives he'd think of ways to get noticed by the old Warhawk, but chakra sure does weird things to your brain. He felt himself get whisked inside their half-decimated house and cringed again as he peered at his undisturbed room, looking like there never was any fighting outside of it.

He let his mind run once again as he situated himself in Obito's arms, his own wrapped around the older child. If Obito is still a genin, and Itachi is somewhere near his age, when does Kakashi get promoted to Jounin? He should set the Hatake's promotion as a deadline for Plan A to D with contingency plans _for_ the contingency plans. The Kanabi Bridge mission is after the promotion, so it would leave Ken about 2 years at most to keep the Uchiha and Nohara alive. The Uchiha had yet to fail his chuunin exam, was it? If Ken remembered correctly, he failed it maybe twice. Or maybe just once and he was being stupid and can't remember. But when Obito got promoted to chuunin, that's around the same time Kakashi got his rank up too. He honestly had no idea and now he's regretting skipping a few parts of Kakashi Gaiden. Good Lord.

"-en? Ken? Are you alright?" Black, worried eyes peered into his own bright pair, and he shifted his weight so he was no longer leaning his body on Obito's torso. "I'm okay. Tired." He mumbled as he rubbed his eyes, acting no more. He was legitimately tired from all the sudden events to his little acting skit to his sulky tenant and all the planning and remembering he had to do. He lifted his arms up and let Kazu's warm arms pick him up, letting go of his worries for a little while. He had the technical right to act like a child because in this world he was one, and the _him_ from Before was no more, no matter what he does. He let his eyelids droop down and let the darkness envelope his consciousness.

* * *

Sarutobi Hiruzen, Konoha's Sandaime Hokage, was not happy. Not one bit. In fact, he was fuming, and he almost swore steam was leaking out of his ears. After receiving reports of experiments that spoke of extreme inhumanity by his prized student, Orochimaru, he rushed away from the clean-up, went straight to the old passage way leading to the underground tunnels of Konoha at the basement of the Hokage Tower. With his secretary, Aso Suitaka, hot on his heels, he stormed off to the 'supposed' underground laboratories, he just could not believe what once was his student did. Experiments on children, from the youngest according to the Hyuuga that sent the report, who was 2 years old, to the oldest who was 14 years old. Not even finished with puberty, the poor children.

A man with a close relation to the Hokage, raven haired, as old as the Sandaime was, appeared beside the tired man, hand clamping around the other's shoulder. The Hokage snapped his head to the side to look at the person that dared touch him at a situation like this, and immediately tensed up way more as his brain processed just who was touching him in such a casual manner at a time as urgent as this.

Danzo. His brain sent him lots of warning signals and he acted on it, slapping away his friend's hand away from his shoulder, huffing as the other's eyes turned to steel and darkened.

"You, of all people, should know that no one should ever sneak up on an angry shinobi, Danzo. Who knew what would have happened if my rage was redirected at you?" He said to the raven-haired man with a level voice, letting his frustrations be known to both his friend and his secretary, who visibly scowled at the sight of the Hokage's friend and _"advisor"_. Everyone knew the only reason he still had power was because he was a known friend of the currrent Hokage.

"I am well aware of the consequences my action would have elicited." The man said, arms crossing into an arrogant cross ontop of his chest. A show of defiance. That made Hiruzen's blood boil a little bit hotter before he extinguished it with a subtle sweep of his chakra around the lower ground levels of the Hokage Tower. _'That would put him in his place.'_ The Hokage thought to himself as his eyes met with his still scowling secretary. Said secretary was now grumbling to himself, eyes bravely meeting the Hokage's gaze before shutting his mouth up, knowing not to aggravate the man any further.

"Why are you even here? You are obliged to help with the clean up, as you are a shinobi." He inquired, eyes boring into Danzo's own in a deadpan, voice as level as the first word he had spoken in the conversation.

Hiruzen turned around once again, now a little bit more calmer, to go down and see for himself the experiments the Hyuuga claimed his Byakugan saw. His fingers, he knew, were twitching. The more the twists and turns he had to take, the more he felt his irritation spike up. He was not angry anymore, but he became irritated the longer the man followed him and his secretary to the scene of crime. How long did he think he was allowed to follow the Hokage in his private investigation? There was obviously a reason why he was not helping with the clean-up of Orochimaru's supposed summons outside, and he had legitimate reason to excuse and relieve himself of the task of helping the others, as obviously, as one with a common sense would know, He was the Hokage and he had the right to abuse it every once in a while to do his own work.

Besides, Hito was with him anyways, and that was an indication as bright and obvious as the Sun that he was going away to do work. Why did he have to invite himself to everything Hiruzen does anyways? Did he think that Hiruzen was easy? Did he think Hiruzen would always let him get away with everything? If Hiruzen didn't know any better, he would've have accused Danzo of being a stalker of a High-Profile shinobi such as himself, and had gotten him off of the Council. Seriously, the man seemed to know every place he was in and almost everywhere he went, Danzo was also there. He was always knew what the Hokage was up to, and was always there to antagonize him and his decisions, pulling the other two members of the Council into his personal mission of making the old man's blood pressure go off the charts.

That, or he would have have deluded himself with the idea that his friend was simply being overbearing and overprotective, wanting to see and know every move and every thing that he was doing. But that would signal the apocalypse and the Tailed Beasts would dance cha-cha while the Elemental Nations crumbled.

He turned around once again and spoke.

"For the last time, Danzo, why are you here?" He huffed and readied himself in a blink of an eye for a verbal comeback or a physical retaliation. He never knew how the man's brain worked and he just learned to adapt to it. There were many reasons why the Nidaime's chose him and not the Warhawk.

The Shimura stared at him and he stared right back. The staring match became a match of Dominance, where the Hokage was sure if he so much as shifted his gaze a little or blinked, he would have have surrendered verbally to his former teammate rather than stare him down but he refused to back down, no matter the opponent.

He opted to just ignore the other man, turned around, began to run and sensing Hito hot on his heels once again, he up and went to speed up his running, knowing Hito could keep up with his sudden increase in speed, what with having to run after him whenever he escapes to spend time with his books. He ran through twists and turns with surprising ease for his age, (he certainly knew his fellow Kage from Iwa, Onoki, was not blessed with a body as durable as his in their old age) and finally reached his destination. He barged right in and his heart broke. The Hyuuga was not lying. The experiments were haphazardly hidden, but the most horrifying fact has yet to hit the Hokage. His eyes roamed around the room that extended almost up to a hundred meters more. On one side were shelves upon shelves of documents that were flipped, in almost what looked like an effort to find certain documents.

Children were hudled at the far corner, all naked and shivering, in fear or cold (or both) he did not know, and he did not want to. Slowly, like a parent trying to soothe their child after yelling, he went forward, arms high up in the air in an extreme form of submission. A child with dark, beady eyes, shaking and obviously afraid, stepped up and shuffled to the front in an effort to shield the smaller children. His pale complexion seemed so unnatural and his brown hair seemed so limp and lifeless, as lifeless as some of the eyes that dared peer at the Hokage and his company. He swiftly started a headcount, startling even himself as he second guessed his own mathematics skills and ability to count.

Sixty. Sixty children, and most (if not all) of them were children that were reported to be missing to the Uchiha Police Force, some even filed as long as almost a year or two of absence. The Hokage almost thought he heard his heart being crushed before he realized the sound was coming from the Earth, slowly rising up to form a little, wobbling wall between him and the children.

He took a step backwards slowly, as to not spook the children, motioning for the men behind him to leave him alone with the kids. He heard hesitant shufflling behind him and when he finally could not sense (and his gut feel told him so) that anyone was behind him, he craned his head to look behind him just to be sure.

The child at the very front, stood firmly in his spot, staring at Hiruzen with unblinking monolid eyes, which, no lie, got the Hokage a whole lot creeped out and feel pity both at the same time. He took a step forward once again, and again, and a few more before he stood a few centimeters right in front of the wall. His eyes widened and his brain stopped working for approximately 5 seconds before his eyes landed on the boy with the big, beady eyes.

In front of him was not a wall made out of the Earth, _that_ , was certainly not and Hiruzen was so sure of it. The Hokage may have been confused at first but the more he stared at the wall, the more it became clear to him. The wall that served as a barrier between him and the children was not made out of the Earth, but of wood.

 _'Of course, a child had to have the same kekkei genkai as the Shodaime Hokage.'_ He thought to himself as he stared at the almost magical wobbly wall of wood infront of him. He may not have noticed it earlier, but the texture was different to earth jutsu. It was smooth and not a rocky slab of soil, as to what one might expect a child to make out of a intermediate jutsu. It certainly had the same smell and overall chakra signature as the Hashirama trees that littered (and surrounded too, of course) the village. He was both shocked and scared, as a child performed and shown him the exact same jutsu the Shodaime Hokage was known for. And he had mistaken it for an earth jutsu too!

"I would not hurt you." He whispered, making no move to take a step forward. "I mean you no harm, children." He said in a soft voice, hoping he came out as gentle and as unharmful (is that even a word?) as he could, milking all the grandfatherly aura he could to coax the children to come near him. He let his arms down and slowly reach one open hand forward as a child, almost four or five years old, peeked behind the brown-haired child at the very front reached an arm out and held one of his fingers.

Another child soon followed, and another after the other, until the little Mokuton boy had to disintegrate his little wall so they could all huddle around the Hokage for warmth. He released a compressed sphere of charka, big enough to envelope all sixty-one of them, as he open his arms to keep as many children as he can close to him.

He ended up sitting in a lotus position on the floor, children surrounding him, (and a few of them clambering to get closer to him too) the oldest ones keeping the most distance between them and the man, but wordlessly sat where the kids would at least be able to still see the Hokage. They shyly accepted the warmth the Hokage's summons gave as they went to cuddle with the ones that were shivering.

The Hokage ripped his robe for his supposed off days, into little squares so the children had something to atleast clean themselves up with for the meantime. He whistled, and in came Hito, once Shimura Danzo nowhere to be found. He ordered the man to get clothes and robes and anything to cover the children up so he could take them to the Sarutobi Residences to help take care of their mental and physical health.

With a quick nod and a shunshin later, he found himself the object of amazement as children poked and booped and pinched him, as if they had just seen a real, live person for the first time. He smiled at every single one of them, extremely proud that these kids survived such an inhumane environment.

"We will wait for other people to come and get you all out of here, alright? We will then try to contact your parents that you are found now and certainly safe in our hands." He said as he pat the boy with beady-eyes head fondly, sweeping his gaze over the mass of children that listened intently and hung onto every word he said. Now, he could say for sure that he heard his heart get crushed.

"Alright, now. Let's get ourselves ready to greet the others so we could go cleaned up in our house." He said and stood up, slouching a little so the children don't get intimidated. Slowly, he rose to his full height, which was not much to begin with, and ushered the children out of the damned room to meet the others halfway. He created a shadow clone of himself and took the job of leading the way and protecting the back. The older ones kept to the outer parts of the line they haphazardly made, holding and supporting the much younger children. The youngest ones were herded to the middle, in a silent way of protecting them that made Hiruzen smile.

A few minutes later, they met up with a gorup of shinobi that brought what the Hokage had asked for and gently, (or as gentle as some gruff looking people could) take the children by the arms or asked for permission to carry them to the Sarutobi residence, where his wife, Sarutobi Biwako and one of his sons, Asuma, were waiting.

Upon arriving, his wife was quick to inspect the thinnest children, worry and her mother hen mode shining bright and as clear as day. They did all they could to contact the parents of some of the children, where almost 53 of 60 children were returned to their respectful families, along with profuse thanks and apologies from each of the parties involved. The remaining 7 were orphans from the orphanage or simply thought to be orphaned because of the lack of files concerning them to be missing at the Uchiha Police Force, where no one would claim them. Hiruzen thought of sending the children to the Orphanages but decided against it as the mental health of the children required them to be with a responsible adult at all times and he was sure that the Orphanage had enough on their plates right now, what with the war ending and looming as well.

He sighed, knowing that sooner or later, he'd have to make a choice, whether he wanted to or not. Whether he was ready or not.

Now the only thing left is to decide what to do with the little beady-eyed boy that stuck himself to his son. The child may be more trouble than he is worth.

"Don't talk about my friend like that!" He heard a small voice yell at him, and he turned around to see his son, little Asuma, holding the child's hand with the other pointed at him. He almost sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, so sure of the incoming argument his son is going to try to start. Guess he'd just have to let him be for once.

He hid his smile as he watched his son take care of the remaining children, all of whom were what looked like ages 3 to 8. He knew his son was destined for great things as he looked on the happy scene in front of him. Asuma has the youngest, on his hip, held firmly by his right hand while the other held the brown haired boy's small hand. The others were following him in a straight line like little ducklings and images of Asuma with the Hokage hat and robe made his heart swell even more at the sight.

It made all the hard work and sleepless nights overcomeable to him. And just like when he was out on the battlefield, he remembered the little promise he made to himself.

That he would protect the children, nurture the teens and lead the adults to the right path through The Village Hidden in the Leaves' Will of Fire.

He just wished that his shortcomings absolutely do not come to bite him in the ass in the future.


	13. chapter 13

**O The Behind Scenes of the Third War O**

 **part one**

 _"A man in haori, clouds on his head,_

 _goes on a mission, for what his lord said_

 _A man who hath daughter and sons,_

 _He raised them and ran_

 _The rain is vast, far dangerous than man_

 _The reaper is fast, seeking ones who run_

 _A man in haori, dies by his son_

 _setting grief in his apprentice's sun_

 _The Sun sets out to meet the cruel world,_

 _to negate the darkness a thousand fold_

 _He fought the rain and spoke with the reaper,_

 _Set things right and honored his father_

 _The Sun is bright and stood by things right_

 _The Sun came back as the apprentice's own_

 _The man rejoiced and held him tight_

 _Finally, his dear son hath return"_

I'll be the first one to admit it but I have absolutely no poetry skills, whatsoever. After the clusterfuck that was Orochimaru's supposed defection from the village, there were a lot of things that happened, and I am not one bit happy with the changes. Because for one, I didn't remember immediately with all that was happening in his new life, but apparently, I had manifested my Byakugan early. If he were a full blooded Hyuuga though, he would have been able to manifest it at an even earlier date, but it is what it is. Second, he was just told over his fake ass grieving for his father that he was supposedly a half-Aburame. I mean how cool was that? He could block tenketsu and stop someone's chakra from flowing, he was also capable of housing kikai that could drain someone else's chakra down. If he was not a blessed child with his wonderful genes, he didn't know what is. Third, the Chūnin Examinations were almost here for the year and he still had no clue what to do with the damned Kanabi Bridge mission. Fourth, around the same time the clean up for the Defection Accident was, the Hokage had reportedly kept a child from the now infamous Hebi Experiments, one that screamed of Yamato (or Tenzou, Kishimoto never did disclose his real name) and formally and legally adopted him, with his excuse of 'Asuma needing a brother.'. Brother, my ass. He probably discovered the kid had Mokuton in his repertoire of jutsu. Fifth, apparently, with the minimal snooping he had done, he caused a butterfly effect (how that happened, he did not know) and made things much more complicated. The timeline has been wiped clean and he was not sure if Orochimaru defected from the village before or after Minato was declared unofficial Hokage. It made his head hurt that he had so much to shoulder and no one to share the burden with and that it was so unfair that a now 17 year old had to carry this huge of a problem. ( _Life is never fair, look at you._ A small voice suspiciously like Megami's.)

Which now brings us to why I am here, sitting outside the Academy, paper and pencils in my half-decimated, half-haphazardly patched ladybug bag (that I refused to let go off, this bag is special to me) at my side, my mother at the other. She had apparently broken a few bones, nothing that the medics could not heal of course, but the minor things like a sprained wrist or ankle she did have to just wait out. At first, I did not know or understand what the medics meant by 'minor injuries' when they told my mom she just wait for it to heal when we went to the Hospital. Her right ankle was purple and black, until a few inches above it down to her heels. It was swollen twice or thrice it's normal size and it turns out, it only looked so bad and it looked like it hurt more than it really did because my mom was pale and she had naturally small ankles. She only had to continuously run chakra over and over her ankles for it to not hurt when she tries to walk. Anyways, back to why I am waiting outside the Academy gates with my mother. A certain brown-haired boy I wanted to meet because the rumor mill of Konoha spreads stuff far faster than Minato could ever hope to be. Ninja grape-vines were also the _root_ (get it? Root? Ninja? Tenzou? Okay.) of why we are here. Kazu can't keep his mouth shut and I am thankful for once.

I didn't have to change the kid, really. Just get close enough to him that he'll trust and defend my logic. I feel bad for plotting to manipulate him but I guess, if people want to live with half an aching heart, (Okay, I am being mean but with me existing, some things are bound to change, whether I interfere with Kishimoto's fantasy world or not.) they would have to just give me a little bit of their trust because I'm working so hard on trying to make their lives easier.

The bells rung and I started to pick my stuff up, carefully sliding the paper in (my mother helped me create a stackable, bento-like sealing scroll, which was kind of in an intermediate level but she was a clan head of a merchant clan, she gotta know something about storage) and patting the imaginary dust off of my black satin yukata, our clan crest proudly sewn into the back of my collar. We were not as proud as the Uchiha to put our crest right in the middle of our clothes where it's big enough to see that you're a walking target.

A few kiddies ran right out of the Academy gates and I sat back, staring at every brown-haired kid to find Yamato. Or Tenzou, whatever his name is gonna be now. A pair of white-masked, discreet ninjas appeared on the roof of the waiting shed, which we were currently under. My mum visibly tensed up before opting to stand close behind me, putting a hand on the top of my head to steer me closer to her so my back was against her knees. Spotting black, beady eyes, I pull on the sleeves of my mother's kimono, urging her to go a little faster so we could get to Yamato before the ANBU. Or whoever they are. I felt sorry and guilty when I realized my mum was still injured so I peeled myself off of her and ran over to Yamato, getting to him and catching his attention a hair faster than the ANBU.

"H-hi! I'm Ken!" I said, sticking an arm out and enthusiastically shook his unwilling arm, before beaming at Mister (Miss? Was I being sexist? Oh god, don't bash me.) ANBU and silently directed his sight towards my mother, who was standing proudly behind me now. He visibly stood straighter and backed off few steps, before catching himself and redeeming his pride by relaxing himself and acting all unbothered. My mum was quite the fearsome person when it came to children. He, meaning Yamato, pulled his hand off of my grasp and stared. Not scared or akward with my sudden introduction, but stared like he genuinely had no feelings towards our _fateful_ encounter.

"Who might you be?" The ANBU asked, although I know he knows I had known that he knew me. Whoa, that was surprisingly grammatically correct, pat me on the back. Plus a pat on the head for using every tense for 'know'. I directed my blinding smile towards him again and introduced myself for the deaf, kinda stupid ANBU, for I had already made my introduction, no need for me to obviously repeat it. He shifted as though he just realized what he just said I felt my mother tense once again. Must be the other ANBU.

"W-we must go now." He said (to me or the the other kid, I did not bother to think about), pulling Yamato gently away from me, making some sort of handsign to the other ANBU and got the hell out of there, a confused Yamato in his arms. I turn to face my mother whose eyebrows were furrowed, still staring at where the Mokuton-user was once standing. She turned to me, relaxed her feature and squatted (you know, that one asian squat, where even now that I am technically asian, I still can't do it.) so we were face to face. She leveled her gaze to mine and sighed, before patting the side of my neck, shaking her head. "Why do always cause your Mama trouble, Ken? Is it fun?" She asked with a hint of amusement in her voice, making me scratch my head. Why would me introducing myself to Yamato cause trouble? I tilt my head to the side to show my confusion and she just straight up laughed at stood up and offered me her hand, the other holding onto her kimono so the from hem was just right above her feet. I hold onto her as we walk away from the Academy.

I heard someone snicker at me and then I realized, we were the only ones in the street. My mum was quiet and her face was neutral the whole time. Was I going crazy? Or is it this the time where I will meet my own Inner person like Inner Sakura? A familiar warmth eveloped me and I almost sighed and simultaneously sagged in relief, now that I remember that I still had a tenant. And that she had yet to pay her dues. How dare she ignore me for days on end!

 **I never took you to be such a stupid child.** She said, tone smug and overly condescending. I sigh outwardly, my mum's eyes landing on me for a few seconds before she tore her eyes away from me to greet a merchant at the side of the road.

'Shut up, Megami. You owe me." I said, waving at some Ushijima lady urging her kid to greet me. She beamed at me and I returned it, albeit at a much less approach.

 **What do I owe you, brat? And since when? I saved your scared ass when you froze up.** She said and I frowned. Who was this and what have they done to my polite (scary) and not-so-potty-mouthed tenant?

'Where's polite Megami? Who are you?'

 **Nah, I ain't keepin' up that act no mo'. Believe me, that was fuckin' disgustin'.** She growled, before she materialized at the side of Ken's mind, not in her last outfit though. Now, she was wearing lose shorts, almost like what Sasuke wore in that blue and white ensemble he had before he defected and followed Orochimaru, kind of like basketball shorts, in black. A black loose mesh shirt that she topped with a matching black loose tank top on top of it. She was barefoot and was sitting so unlady-like and what looked like man-spreading on what seemed to be a throne loosely inspired by the Iron Throne. She was munching on potato chips (HOW) looking like an absolute bum. She chewed with her mouth open and it bothered Ken a little bit, as he heard sickening crunches almost every second on their way back to the compound.

 **I demand a better treatment!** She said through her annoying chewing, her right hand going up to scratch at the top of her head.

'Yeah, yeah. Sure.' I say, rolling my eyes at her sudden change of attitude. Ma gently pulled me closer to her as we pass the more 'modest' parts of Konoha. Some people didn't appreciate 'rich clan members' in their turf so we always had to be quick and walk silently. Well, today's not a good day.

"Oi! What are ya rich people doin' 'ere?" Someone yelled just as we took three steps into their territory.

"Ah, we're just passing, sir." My mother said, urging me to come along and walk. He scowled and took a few steps towards us, fists raised in preparation for a clumsy punch. **Kick him, kick him!** Megami urged as I slipped through his legs, my mom effectively and effortlessly dodging his punch. Who's the dumb ass that made that one law where a shinobi cannot lay a finger on a civilian? Who? I grin as I punch his crotch, my height totally helped in making it land right where it would hurt his future and his future children. **Okay, that works too, brat. Heh.** I opted to just ignore her as the man doubled over in pain, knees shaking visibly.

A hand caught the man's shoulder as he almost fell forward, pulling him up upright so he didn't fall on his face. There stood Minato, his genin team just a few steps behind him. The girl, Rin, obviously knew the man as she ran over to help him up, calling him by name.

"Oh dear. Are you alright, Ubugawa-san?" She asked, taking over and helping the man stand. Her eyes landed on my mother and widened, before she ushered the man out of our sight. A few seconds later, she poofed right into existence beside Obito, who was not startled in the least.

My mother's left eyebrow went up as her eyes met Minato's, before smiling at Obito.

"It is nice to finally meet you, Uchiha-kun." She said, inclining her head in a curt version of a bow, before Obito-nii scrambled to bow. Oh right, they still have not met from the hospital days of Obito. "I'm sorry for not having the time to go to your compound, ma'am. Madam. Ushijima-sama?" He rambled, before Kakashi hit the back of his head to stop his rambling.

Ma laughed, before composing herself right after. "It's no problem, genin teams are needed right now, after all, war is looming over us." She said in a neutral voice, before she took my hand and excused us, leaving Minato and his team standing on the side of the street. She stopped and turned back around, telling Obito that the offer still stood, before bowing again and us leaving for good. War was near? What? When?

"Ma? What mean with war?" She turned her head towards me and did the squat again, flattening my hair. "Let's talk about it in our house, okay? Mama doesn't know if you understand yet, so please bear with me for a little while." She said, picking me up in her arms before dashing to the compound, the blues and whites and muted reds blurring into brown as we travelled at great speeds back to the house.

She slowed down once we reached the front door in the Main House, setting me down as Kazu greeted us from the genkan. Quickly changing our slippers, we sat in our living room couch face to face, Kazu coming with us just for the heck of it.

"I know you're smart for your age, but I will stop answering questions once I deem you know enough about what's going on." She said, crossing her legs.

"As you know, peace talks have been failing lately. Iwagakure has been accusing us of kidnapping a renowned jōnin of theirs and Kumogakure has been encroaching on our borders. I reckon, you have memorized all five of the Great Villages?" She asked, where I nod and wait with baited breath.

"Konoha will accept the desist of ceasefire and go into war. I have been meaning to tell you this but I am not allowed to go into the fray and am exempted, knowing our clan is mostly made up of merchants." _But your brother isn't._ Was the unsaid words she wanted to say. I understood the implications of war, and no matter how much it hurts me to accept it, my brother was an important asset to the village.

"Okay." She shifted on her seat and cleared her throat to continue.

"As I was saying, Konoha will soon go to war. She has been pulling everything off in order to get as much genin and chūnin in the ranks. Your friend, Obito, might be chosen to become a chūnin in the Exam, this time around. Even that little girl in Namikaze's team might get promoted. We are fighting on more than two fronts, and we need to pull all the stops there is. We need as much firepower as we can afford to bring to the battlefield." She said in an apologetic voice. Kazu was also looking apologetic but I know that Obito would survive. Not just in the way he's supposed to recover. And most certainly not in Konoha.

"We were told to only reveal Wartime Operations to our most trusted, and I believe you know what me telling you those things entail. _Do not tell anyone about the War until the Hokage himself addresses it._ Am I understood?" I nod numbly, before going over to where she sat and hugging her knees. Kazu wrapped an arm around Ma's shoulders and she held us both, voice cracking as she let all her worries out.

"If it were up to me, I would never bring children as young as them to my battles. I would never bring young men and women with bright futures and families waiting for them for the sake of honor or for the village. I just wish the people would see that all these are unnecessary bloodshed. It hurts my heart that you have to fight in order for us to survive," she tightened her hold on Kazu's forearms and let him wipe a lone tear that dropped down her cheek and turn to pin her eyes on me. "—and it also hurts me that you have to grow up in this horrible, horrible condition." She said before the dam broke and she cried for her sons. I kept my composure as Kazu held Ma in his arms,opting to keep quiet than say something and make her even more upset.

Now that I have successfully fucked up the timeline, time to plan around the things that are sure to happen.

First step, what to do about Obito and Rin's future deaths?


	14. chapter 14

**@MrKeyFox**

 ** _Wait for it lol. There's a reason for everything that happens over here and I can completely admit that I do write cliche shit. I don't want to make Megami just a 'voice inside the head'. I want to make her a real, live being in this. So yeah, wait for it, haha._**

 **@Mile De**

 **Thank _you_ for reading this piece of crap heehee. :)**

 **@Guest: Mouse**

 **I'm so sad you're not here anymore! Where are you? Omg. Come back pls.**

 **O The Behind Scenes of the Third War O**

 ** _filler_ _chapter_**

Turns out, I had to properly ask for a tagging nin to accompany a ninja squad behind their backs. In this case, I had to go talk to the Hokage's secretary for an appointment (which was hard enough to do when you're an adult, was much harder when you were a not from a clan but were a shinobi and the hardest when you were a civilian.) and it was an absolute nightmare trying to talk to Hito-san, because he had the most deadpan stare ever and it made me anxious trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. Turns out, both my age and my whole being was the problem, and I had to result to ask Kazu for me. (He said he got it covered. To what extent, I did not know, but I trust his judgement.) I had a couple of days left before Ma said the Hokage would announce the start of the war to the civilians, so they could stock up enough for a few months and for the shinobi could spend time with their families even for just a brief moment in that short span of time. There were shinobi who took two-day leaves, just to spend time with their loved ones, and there were those who were from huge and prominent clans, who had a majority of them fighting together in the battlefield and choose to spend their time with friends instead. Like right now, instead of hanging out with their families, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio were out here hanging out with my brother.

They had zero shame, absolutely none, I say. They talked about crude stuff like how to properly clean your lover's ass, and some tips on how to get out of deer feeding duty, how to get away from your mother when she's mad as all hell, and the likes. They have not a single bone of embarrassment when they joked about wanting sexual tension to be released after a long day of battle, with _me_ just a few seats away from them. Good thing I was already a teen in my mind and not a real kid, and it makes me wonder why I haven't joined their joking yet. It was a surprise my disgusting sense of humor still has not made its debut in the conservative village of Konoha. Heck, even my own mother and brother don't know about half of the stuff I keep to my self and what most (I meant most, really, they learned I'd croak ' _food food food'_ like Gollum when I get hungry) of the stuff I blubber on about in English really means. Good thing I was still young and young children like me had the exclusive right to babble on about indiscernable words. Some of it is not out of complete disrespect to others and most of the time when I know someone who's not immediate family or a really close friend who can handle it was not around, I'd just shut up and keep it in my head.

So imagine my shock when my brother (Kazu, is so not a great role model) had almost the same disgusting sense of humor as me, only taken a few notches down. I had to run to my room and giggle before I come out as red as I had been when I was born the first time I heard him joke.

"Hey, Shikaku? Wanna hear a joke?" My brother asked the future Nara patriarch, who was lazing around in our now perfectly new and comfy living room. They had to renovate it and make it a little bigger so they built around the tree outside and expanded the living room. But anyways, back to what I was saying. The Nara merely nodded his head as he seemed to sink into the sofa the more he relaxed into it. Chouza and Inoichi were busy inhaling my mum's pancakes drenched in strawberry jam and some kind of homemade syrup, chicken wrapped with bacon which we then cooked and then dunked into honey, ( I just had to get some form of western, fatty food in my diet, or I would've gone batshit crazy with all of the stuff happening around me) and cocoa Dutch oven-bread, which I helped my new mother how to bake, surprising her with my suggestions and she just went with it. Surprisingly, knowing the (what I now know) Gentle Fist, made kneading easier, and she decided to call it Kenpan, because I helped her 'invent' it. I went along with it anyways.

"Your life." My brother said, looking smug as all hell as he wiggled his brows at me. Shikaku sighed and turned around so his back was towards us, before holding a hand out before a piece of chicken landed between his fingers. He caught it silently and ate slowly, like he was waiting for my brother to stop his jokes.

"Wanna come with me though?" He suddenly asked, gaining the Nara's attention once again. He chewed on his chicken slowly before shooting my brother a look that said 'go on.'. Kazu refused to speak, obviously waiting for a verbal response. He stared at Shikaku, long and hard, unmoving in his seat. "Where to?" He, Shikaku, finally asked after a few seconds of staring at my brother. "To our inevitable deaths." He replied before he burst into a full on belly rolling laughter. I successfully keep myself from laughing out loud and stuff my mouth with the pancakes before I burst. Shikaku looked so done with him, he actually rolled his eyes and went to the other side of the room where Kazu was at a safe distance away, although still within his hearing range.

"Hey Shikaku?" He called out after his laughing fit. Said man did spare him a short glance, before focusing on trying to snag another chicken using his shadow from his Yamanaka and Akimichi teammates.

"Let's do something together!"

"Like what?"

"Couple's suicide!" Shikaku snorted before mumbling a _we're not even remotely considered as a couple_ in the background.

Oddly enough, Megami was quiet, considering her sudden change of attitude. She has been ever since the discovery of Kazu's sense of humor.

It was weird, but I am literally an anomaly in this universe therefore I had no right to call someone weird. If it were not for me, there would not be an Ushijima clan, or a Kazuhiko after all.

"Stop _eat_." Chouza said in between his chewing and I completely surrendered to fanboy feels.

Maybe Obito and Rin could wait a little.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

It was scary. I was a being with almost a few hundred years under my belt and extreme achievements and here I was, getting attached to a little boy who was trying to save everyone. It was scary when I started to feel pity for the boy. His cries were almost real, when he himself told his own conscience that he was just faking his sadness, but I know deep down he's hurting. Who hurt him or why he's still hurting baffles me, considering he's been in this world for no longer than half a decade.

It was scarier when I started to support the boy, opting to use a white lie to save myself from questioning. It was horrifying, the feelings I simultaneously felt when that hand hover above _my child._

 _It was the scariest when I realized I_ _wanted to protect Ken._

I never felt that attached to someone before. Sure, there were loyal followers of hers scattered across the nations, and she of course blesses them, but Ken's case was new and unexpected.

Who would've known that she, a goddess, would lie to a child about her name? Who would have known that she would choose to protect this ordinary kid? Who would have known that she would get attached to her jailor? She decided to go for it anyways.

If acting unbothered was the way to go so the little boy would never get hurt again, then so be it. Throwing away hundreds of years of manners were nothing in the face of her own siblings. Life and Death were the two beings she most certainly loved and loathed the most.

But she certainly loved and hated herself even more. That's why, with or without her siblings blessings, she would become a goddess that will side with Ken until he himself pushes her away.

Death better watch out.


	15. NOTICE!

**Hi guys! This is not an update but a notice! I'll be putting this story on break, but in the meantime, please read my other story titled "Hyacinth Markings" which you can also find here. It's a RIN!OC type of story, and it currently has 13,000 words with three chapters. I'm really sorry for the inconvenience! I'm going to get back to writing when I have my priorities sorted out, and life in a boarding school is quite hectic. Please bear with me.**

 **With love and apologies,**

 **littlehero**


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